R: Co-ordinated spelling

Oskar wrote:

> *German*
>
> Gooden dag, spreken si þydsk? Ja, ik habe miin þydsk in þem skoole
> gelernt. Ak so, und hwoher kommen si? Ik bin daenisk. Und hwi heiten si?
> Miin naame ist Jens.
>
> *Dutch* (I know limited Dutch, there may be mistakes)
>
> Good dag, sprekt je nederlands? Ja, ik heb miin nederlands in þe skool
> gelernt. Aha, en hwarfan komt je? Ik ben danisk. En hwat heit je? Miin
naam
> is Jens.
>
> *English*
>
> Good dag, do ju speek englisk? Jes, ig have lernt mii englisk in þe skool.
> O, and hwer do ju kom from? Ig am daanisk. And hwat is jur naam? Mii naam
is
> Jens.
>
> *Icelandic*
>
> Goodan dag, talar þu islensku? Jaa, eeg haeb laaert islensku i skoola. O,
> og hwadan kemur þu? Eeg er danskur. Og hwad heiter þu? Nabn mitt er Jens.
>
> *Danish*
>
> Good dag, taler þu dansk? Ja, eeg har laaert dansk i skoolen. Naa, og hwor
> kommer þu fra? Eeg er islandsk. Og hwad heter þu? Mit navn er Egill.
>
> You could probably take any two Germanic languages this way, and make
almost
> identical sentences or at least words (though they might sound radically
> different), almost ;) For example, Icelandic 'út' (pronounced [u:t]),
> German 'aus' [aus], and English 'out', all look different. By co-ordinated
> spelling, they'd all be the same: 'uut' or 'út'. Others become almost
> identical: Ge 'auf', Ice 'upp', Eng 'up' > 'uup', 'upp', 'up'; Ge 'frau',
> Dut 'vrouw', Ice 'frú' > all 'fruu'.
Really a good work. I've been trying to do something similar with my
conlangs. My goal was to use the same letters for the same sounds in
different languages, but it can become boring with conlangs, where you want
to give a special flavour to each one of your creations. Anyway this is IMO
a good idea - even if, always IMO, impraticable - for real world languages:
an unique spelling would mean no more pronounciation problems (but even this
would work for a couple of centuries.. then sound change would mess up
everything again!)

Luca

> Oskar
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