Re: English notation

BP Jonsson wrote:


> Þ Ðetisbyrg Adres

I decided to try to read this passage cold, without studying your
tables, to find out how accessible the orthography was.
I stumbled on the second word instantly, until I realized that you have
absolutely no reason to know that "Gettysburg", like the surname "Getty"
on which the name is based, is pronounced with initial /g/.

> a ný néxn,

This is a specifically American speech, and as such, Lincoln surely
spoke of a nú, rather than a ný, néxn.


> þat w xud dú þiz.

þis, rather.


> þ wyrld wil litl
> nót, nor long rémembr hwat w sá hér, byt it kan nevr forðet hwat þá did
> hér.

This is a most remarkable topos, since in fact the battle is chiefly
remembered because of the speech!

> & þat gyvrnment v þ pépl, bí þ pépl, for
> þ pépl, xal not perix from þ yrþ.

Really quite a speech, eh?

--
There is / one art             || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
no more / no less              || http://www.reutershealth.com
to do / all things             || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
with art- / lessness           \\ -- Piet Hein

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