i18n@... wrote:

>
> Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>
> >
> > The way it notates final consonants has no bearing on its typology. Kana
> > also indicate the final consonant with a special character, but that
> > doesn't keep them from being syllabaries.
>
> Wondering - is that evidence of how the writing system evolved from the
> spoken language? The sound represented by the "final consonant" entry in
> kana does in fact have the same "vocal length" quality as the other

called "mora"

> entries, even though it is an exception to the CV rule of the kana table
> organization.
>
> So, is it safe to say that the writing system (in Japanese at least) is
> subordinate to the spoken language?

Where is it not?

> I mean, given that either the spoken can/could have changed to allow the
> writing system to be exception free, or the writing system can reflect
> the spoken sounds at the cost of having exceptions in the CV table
> layout, what can we infer from the historical choices/evolution in this
> matter? Does it vary by language/writing system pairs?

? Since the vast majority of humans have never been literate, it would
be quite difficult for a writing system to have any but the slightest
effect on its language.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...