Re: Aesthetic Language Sense

Yes, spelling adds a whole new dimension to the experience of
language.  I really believe that two identical phones can be
experientially different if they are represented by two different
graphs or sets of graphs.  What you say about "cluts" vs. "klutz" is
definitely the case, at least in my subjective experience.

This is one more factor that may make spelling reform seem offensive.

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Ed doesn't know everything, but he hasn't figured that out yet.
Please break it to him gently.              edheil@postmark.net
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Charles wrote:

> Ed Heil wrote:
> >
> > Boudewijn Rempt wrote:
>
> > > Well... I'm getting quite wary of the word _all_, used in connection
> > > to language. Of course, there is iconicism in sound, with is why I'm
> > > not entirely happy with the Denden _kela_ for 'mouse'.
> >
> > Yes, Magnus's claim is pretty extreme.  Still, it's rather
> > interesting to undertake her "experiment" which she claims will
> > convince any observer with an hour or two to kill that she is right.
>
> I do think there is at least 1 "phonestheme", if that's the right word,
> in most English words, though much of this works by eye rather than ear:
> K/C and S/Z for instance; a *cluts is not impressive as a klutz.
>