Re: [tied] Cybalist Notation [was: Digest Number 1798]

I should have made it my New Year's resolution to compile and upload "A
Beginner's Guide to Cybalist Notation" on the basis of the half-consistent
common practice that has evolved on the list since its beginning, but it's a
daunting task and I have very little time to spare right now. I might be in
a position to do prepare such a guide in the late weeks of January.

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: "P&G" <petegray@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] Digest Number 1798


> > I enjoy the Cybalist but many times I do not understand the notation
that
> is
> > used. Can someone guide me to some books or tapes that would help me?
>
> I recommend having a quick look at a basic introduction to phonetics, and
a
> basic introduction to PIE. This will introduce you to most of the
notation.
> But in brief:
>
> In our notation, we are limited to what can be done on a keyboard and sent
> through the ether. So as far as possible, the symbols are either attempts
> to represent the standard alphabet for a particular language, with
> diacritics written after the letter, or they are the standard symbols of
the
> IPA (International Phonetic Association), adjusted for ASCII keyboards, or
> they are the standard symbols for the reconstructed PIE, again adjusted
for
> the keyboard.
>
> So, for example, to represent foreign alphabets:
> s' means the letter s with a dash over it (eg Sanskrit s'abdas =
"sound")
> s^ means the letter s with a ^ (or v) sign over it (eg Lithuanian s^ioks =
> "such")
> s. means the letter s with a dot under it (eg Sanskrit kr.s.n.a =
"Krishna")
> and so on.
>
> To represent IPA sounds:
> A E I O U can be used to show short vowels (eg English /bAt/ = "bat")
> the colon : is used to show long vowels (eg Latin re:x)
> T D can be used to represent the fricatives (eg English /Dis/ /Tisl./ =
> "this thistle")
> but there is variety in use, and despite several attempts to formualte a
> consistent system, none has caught on, and we have to explain what we mean
> if in doubt.
>
> PIE uses raised symbols, which we indicate by a capital letter, so:
> bH means the sequence usually written b+raised small h.
> kW means the sequence usually written k+raised small w
> So kW can be distinguished from kw (which is two sounds, whereas kW is
one)
> A dot under a letter means it functions as the centre of a syllable (as
the
> l in English "tumble" sometimes does.)
>
> The sign > means "develops into", and < means has developed from"
> The sign / before and after a sequence means "this is a phonetic
> transcription"
> When < and > enclose a sequence, they mean "spelled" eg English <dough> =
> /do:/
> The sign * means a form whcih is reconstructed, but not actually attested.
>
> I hope this is the sort of answer you were looking for! Next time you;'re
> not sure, don't be afraid to ask about the specific notation, and we'll
> clarify it for you.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>