suzmccarth wrote:

>
> --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
> wrote:
> > suzmccarth wrote:
> > >
> > > > > I do notice however that most Indic language sites refer to
> the
> > > > > syllable as the basic unit - often what is referred to as a
> letter
> > > > > or character is actually a syllable, this is the basic
> element.
> > > >
> > > > An aksara doesn't necessarily represent a syllable; it
> represents any
> > > > number of consonants plus a vowel, but not CVC. All syllable-
> final
> > > > consonants are attached to the initial consonant of the next
> syllable.
> > > > --
> > > > Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...
> > >
> > > Aren't (C)(C)CV still syllables? On the other hand can you tell me
> > > if aksara boundaries and morpheme boundaries conflict in Tamil? I
> > > guess I wouldn't want to represent "pro-tec-ted" by these three
> > > syllables or "mi-stake" by these two syllables.
> >
> > Maybe CCCV can be a syllable in some language or other, but in Indic or
> > Dravidian? No akshara can represent a closed syllable CVC.
> >
> > The syllables of the English word are pro-tec-ted, but in an Indic
> > script it's written <pro-te-cte-d>. Thus aksharas don't necessarily
> > correspond to syllables.
>
> 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.

? What's what people call their system got to do with what it encodes?
"Cree syllabics" has characters for each (C)V syllable, plus final
consonants. From your two examples, it seems that Cree has syllables CV,
VC, and CVC.

Abugidas have characters for each Ca, plus modifications for the other
vowels.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...