Re: Futurese

Javier wrote in response to John Cowan:
> >I think the point is that you are constraining your IAL based on
> >the majority of (described) languages rather than the majority of
> >speakers.
> >
> >> Why do you call them "classical"? Because they're the
> >> vowels of the "classical" language Latin?
> >
> >No, because they are the five vowels representing the most common
> >pattern cross-linguistically, and are "classically" found in IALs.
>
>If those five vowels are "classically" found in IALS
>is 1) because most IALs are Latin-based, and 2) because
>those are the five "classic" vowels of the Roman alphabet
>('y' is not considered a classic vowel since it was
>used only for Greek borrowings).
>
>Above you're asking for languages to be weighed according
>to their number of speakers, but then you ask the
>pentavocalic system to be adopted by the IAL, apparently
>ignoring that it is not used by most of those languages
>with most speakers: Chinese doesn't use it, nor English,
>nor Arabic, nor Hindi, nor French, nor Portuguese, nor
>Indonesian, nor Turkish... only Spanish and Russian among
>the most spoken and widespread languages use it. Aren't you
>contradicting yourself a bit here?
You ARE aware that John Cowan and I aren't the same person?!?

John is right about what I meant with "democracy of languages" vs "democracy
of speakers", but I didn't actually use the term "classical vowels" in the
way John thinks. "Classical vowels"=/i e a o u/ is simply a usage I've
picked up from others - I've always assumed it refers to Latin.

                                                Andreas

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