Re: OT-ish: txt - Could it replace Standard Written English?

Joe wrote at 2003-03-03 17:31:42 (+0000)
 >
 > 1. 'txt' is an abjad.  It only uses vowels when they seem
 > neccesary.  'e' is especially often dropped, as in the name.
 >

Certainly abjads tend to drop vowels, but is that their defining
characteristic?  My understanding is that it's the contrast between
consonantal letters and vocalic diacritics that makes an abjad, and I
don't see any reason why txt vowels would be considered diacritic.

Mind you, I'm not sure that I have any absolutely reliable principle
for discriminating between diacritics and letters.

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