Re: Vai

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "suzmccarth" <suzmccarth@...> wrote:

> --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Wordingham"
> <richard.wordingham@...> wrote:
> > --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "suzmccarth" <suzmccarth@...>

wrote:

> >
> > > Would it not be possible to create an interactive syllable

chart

> in
> > > java script of the 60 symbol set, with the auxiliary set in a
> > > further menu.
> >
> > Are you sure the number is 60, and not 160?
>
> Here is the quote from Singler.
>
> "Most literates find the need for only forty to sixty characters. In
> many ways the participants at the 1962 conference 'filled in the
> blanks' creating symbols where none had existed before.

The repertoire evidenced in the 'Book of Ndole' written before 1850,
is:

(2) I, A;
(3) AN /Na/, ON /NO/, NGEN
(2) HEE, HE;
(1) HIN;
(8) WEE, WI, WA, WOO, WU, O /wO/, WE, WAN;
(3) PA, POO, PE;
(3) BHI, BHA, BHU;
(7) BEE /b_<e, mb_<e/, BI, BA, BU, BO, BE;
(2) MBA /mb_<a, b_<a/, MBOO /mb_<o, b_<o/;
(7) KPEE, KPA, KPOO, KPU, KPO, KPE, KPAN;
(5) GBEE, GBI, GBA, GBOO, GBE;
(7) FEE, FI, FA, FOO, FU, FO, FE;
(1) VA
(7) TEE, TI, TA, TOO, TU, TO, TE;
(3) DHI, DHA, DHU
(7) LEE, LI, LA /la, d_<a/, LOO /lo, d_<o/, LU /lu, d_<u/, LO /lO,
d_<O, nd_<O/, LE /lE, d_<E/
(4) DI, DA /d_<a, nd_<a, la/, DOO, DO /d_<O, nd_<O/
(2) NDEE, NDA;
(7) SEE, SI, SA, SOO, SU, SO, SE;
(2) ZI, ZA
(6) JEE, JI, JA /J\a, JJ\a/, JU, JO, JE /J\E, JJ\E, jE/
(3) NJEE /je/, YA, JO /jo/
(8) KEE, KI, Ndole KA, KOO, KU, KO, KE, KAN
(1) NGGA
(3) GA, GOO, GO
(5) MI, MA, MU, MO, ME
(4) NI, NA, NU, NE
(4) NYI, NYA, NYO, NYE

The numbers are the numbers starting with each consonant sound (or
lack thereof). About 117 symbols for syllables! Source: Proposal,
Figure 5. Note that 'BH' and 'DH' are plain voiced stops; simple 'B'
and 'D' are reserved for the implosive stops.

> Thus the
> conference largely introduced into the writing system distinctions
> between pairs of syllables beginning with s and z, f and v, wV and
> V, and the palatal consonants c, j, nj, and y. Very often, a
> contrast already existed between pairs of consonants with some
> vowels;

These features are indicated by the above list, and are shared by the
list I previously posted (retained below for completeness).

> now it was extended to all seven vowels. Thus most of the
> seeming systematicity in the shape of characters is artificial,
> imposed in 1962 and never in fact accepted by script users.
> (According to Welmers 1976: 11, the system did not originally
> distinguish between b (implosive) and mb (implosive), d (implosive)
> and nd (implosive), or [k] and [ng], these distinctions were only
> introduced into the writing system around 1900.)

The book of Ndole shows these distinctions, albeit inconsistently and
only in a few syllables.

> A further point
> about the relationship of the chart to ordinary use is that the
> usual form of some charcters represents an inversion, reversal, or
> turning of the version in the chart."

Suggesting that ordinary use is more conservative!

> > My assessment,
> > using proposed Unicode names and showing pronunciation in XSAMPA
> > where
> > there would be more than one pronunication for a symbol, is that
> > the
> > system should consist of at least the following 148 symbols:
> >
> > EE, I, A, OO, O /O, hO, w0/;
> > AN /a~, Na/, ON /O~, NO, HO~/, EN /E~, hE~/;
> > NGEN;
> > HEE, HI, HA, HOO, HE /hE, E/;
> > HIN /hi~, i~/;
> > WEE, WI, WA, WOO, WU /wu, u, hu/, WE;
> > PEE, PI, PA, POO, PU, PO, PE;
> > BHI, BHA, BHU, BHO;
> > BEE, BI, BA, BOO, BU, BO, BE;
> > MBA, MBOO;
> > KPI, KPA, KPOO, KPU, KPO, KPE, KPAN;
> > GBEE, GBI, GBA, GBOO, GBU, GBO, GBE;
> > FEE, FI, FA, FOO, FO, FE;
> > VA, VO;
> > TEE, TI, TA, TOO, TU, TO, TE;
> > DHEE, DHI, DHA, DHOO, DHU;
> > LEE, LI, LA, LOO, LU /lu, d_<u, nd_<u/, LO, LE /lE, d_<E/;
> > DEE, DA, DOO, DO;
> > NDEE, NDI, NDOO;
> > SEE /se, ze/, SI, SA, SOO, SU /su, zu/, SO, SE /sE, zE/;
> > ZI, ZA, ZOO /zo, jO(?)/, ZO;
> > CI;
> > JEE /J\e, ce/, JI /J\i, JJ\i, ji/, JA /J\a, ca/, JOO /J\o, co,
> JJ\o, jo/,
> > JU /J\u, cu, ju/, JO /J\O, c\O, JJ\O/;
> > NJEE /JJ\e, je/, NJA, NJU;
> > YA;
> > KEE, KI, KA, KOO, KU, KO, KE;
> > NGGEE, NGGI, NGGA, NGGO;
> > GEE, GA, GOO, GU /gu, Ngu/, GO, GE;
> > MI, MA, MU, MO, ME;
> > NI, NA, NU, NO, NE;
> > NYI, NYA, NYU, NYO, NYE;
> > NG.

Richard.