On 11/13/2001 09:43:17 AM Michael Everson wrote:

>Featurality in Hangul has to do with e.g. the K/G series, where the
>voicing is indicated by duplication of the horizontal.

What I think your suggesting is a meaning of "featural" for which I
alluded to a possible explicit definition a couple of days ago:

<quote>
Actually, perhaps there is some analogy here with the abugida (your
definition) that could be of interest: there are structural elements that
represent points of articulation with default values for other
articulatory features; then there are structural modifications (e.g.
doubling) that correspond to a deviation from those default values. It's
not entirely systematic, though. E.g. /m/ has the basic shape for labials,
but /k/ has the basis shape for velars. I don't recall all the details and
don't have materials with me to study the sound / shape patterns, so I
can't pursue this further.

*Perhaps* this may point to a valid structural basis on which to build a
definition of "featural" that I'd go along with. But a definition for
"featural" that makes reference to the *shapes* of jamos and their iconic
relation to points of articulation does not belong in the same taxonomic
system that otherwise defines types / categories on a structural basis. It
belongs in a two-way taxonomy of systems for which there are iconic or
metaphoric relationships between shapes and linguistic objects, and
systems for which there are not. That is a different taxonomy that is
orthogonal to one that has classes for things like alphabet and syllabary.
</quote>

So, I'll suggest a possible explicit definition of "featural":

A script in which there is a core set of structural elements that are used
to represent a set of features, some of which have fixed values and some
of which are only default values; then there are *systematic* structural
modifications (systematic meaning that they apply repeatedly in a
consistent manner across substantial portions of the script) that denote
specific deviations from individual default feature values.

Michael, or anybody, does this fit your idea of featural?



- Peter


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Constable

Non-Roman Script Initiative, SIL International
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Dallas, TX 75236, USA
Tel: +1 972 708 7485
E-mail: <peter_constable@...>