Re: Moraic writing system

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...> wrote:

> Richard Wordingham wrote:

> > I think the point is that in most syllabaries it may take more than
> > symbol to write a syllable.

> > For Akkadian Cuneiform, it generally takes 2 symbols for a closed or
> > explicitly long syllable begining with a consonant (3 for a closed
> > syllable with an explicitly long vowel).

> What does the number of symbols involved in notating a syllable have
> to do with whether a phonological system is organized moraically?

> Can only written language have moras?

A moraic writing system does not have to apply to a language with a
moraic phonological system. Japanese is the point of departure for
transferring the term from the phonology to the writing.

> There are in Mesoptamian cuneiform plenty of CVC signs.

Nevertheless, CVC syllables are often written as CV-VC. Are you
saying that the scribe would normally find a CVC symbol rather than
having to resort to a CV-VC pair?

Richard.