-----Original Message-----
From: Peter T. Daniels [mailto:grammatim@...]
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 6:17 AM
To: qalam@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Unicode Tibetan (Was: syllable level encoding in unicode)


cowan@... wrote:

>
> suzmccarth scripsit:
>
>> > Now I am really puzzled since Cree would have a similar syllable
>> > structure <ma-si-na-hi-ka-n> simple CV <a-s-pi-ta-s-ko-pi-so-n> and
>> > CV with final /s/ and final /n/ using a "final". The system is
>> > composed of syllabics for open syllables and finals (plus a couple of
>> > featural signs not always used)They certainly call their system
>> > syllabic even though Naskapi has a different structure in the spoken
>> > language.
>>
>> Cree can be seen as an abugida as well, although the vowel signs and
>> the virama are encoded using size and orientation changes rather than
>> diacritics (Indic scripts) or incorporated strokes (Ethiopic).
>
>> It was convenient for Unicode to assimilate Ethiopic and Canadian
>> Syllabics to the syllabaries and the Indic scripts to the alphabets (with
>> complex script rendering), but there is nothing fundamental about this.
>
>> Does anyone know the language -- I believe it is a North American one --

in

>> which syllabograms that look like ligatured North American English

handwriting

>> are used? I saw it once but have no clue where.

>The "Eskimo script" of Neck used English-looking "syllables" for some of
>its syllabic signs (see Alfred Schmitt). There is an alleged mainland US
>writing system that did something similar (I think it's mentioned in one
>of the Smithsonian Handbook articles), but it doesn't seem ever to have
>been used.

Hochak (Winnebago) had an English looking syllabary. IIRC in
"Anthropological Linguistics" vol 43(?) there was a substantial article on
the Winnebago syllabary as used by Sam Blowsnake.

--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...



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