Re: Fonetix

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 21:40:17 +0100 (BST)


Arf Wilson's oar:
> Hebrew is an alphabetical and
> very phonetic language (when it is written with vowels). As has been noted,
> it has not changed, even when Jews were speaking Arumaic instead of pure
> Hebrew. Problems come when you have sounds in the language you are trying to
> write that do not appear in the alpabet you are using.

That's true. When this happens you either a) live with it; b) add a new letter to your alphabet; or c) write some ridiculous combination of otherwise innocent consonants, and insist that the combination be pronounced <however>. (For example, no one pronounces "wh" as "wh", it's either more like "hw", or simply as "w". Bang goes phonetics...)

> Unless the name [of a god] is written deliberately wrong.

That could be (thought it still requires some sort of alphabetic/ pseudo-phonetic script to do so). The God Leaners didn't give two hoots about blaspheming against _other_ religions, though, so if they did this it might be as more of a "safety device". ("Please insert the 'D-chip' before proceeding with this hideous act of paganistic demon summoning. Thank you.")

Slainte,
Alex.


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