Re: Languages

En réponse à DOUGLAS KOLLER <LAOKOU@...>:

>
> But going solely by phonetics, there is also no way to predict which
> adjectives are going to drop final consonants and which aren't. I, at
> least,
> see no predictable system emerge when I notice that:
>
> /Sod/ goes to /So/ (hot), but /Ryd/ remains /Ryd/ (rough)
> /las/ goes to /la/ (weary), but /lis/ remains /lis/ (smooth)
> /p@tit/  goes to /p@ti/ (small), but /bRyt/ remains /bRyt/ (raw)
> /mHEt/ goes to /mHE/ (mute), but /bEt/ remains /bEt/ (stupid)
>
> etc., etc. etc.
>
Very true, but that's just the way the French language is. The only thing that
you're proving is that the French spelling is not that stupid as it manages to
make something quite complex look easy. But that doesn't change the nature of
the spoken language: you cannot describe a spoken language with consideration
that have more to do with orthography.

Christophe.