Hi Paul and Folks,
I sorry for my democratic ways. Trouble is I admire the Shavian Alphabet and want to see it in common use. Plus, I also have the talent of understanding most if not all accents and dialects. Due to my Universal Understanding of all spoken English I was shocked by the need to select a common accent and dialect for Shavian spelling. However, I will politely allow Shaw Enthusiasts to do with Shavian as their Conscience dictates.
best of regards,
Carl
Paul Vandenbrink <pvandenbrink@...> wrote:
Hi Joseph
I think Carl in his enthusiasm to spread the word on the benefits the Shaw
Alphabet has jumped in with a naive attempt to correct the Achilles Heel of
the Shavian Alphabet.
The problem with Shaw as an Alphabet for English, is that first, English is
nowadays becoming the pre-eminent World language. But Secondly, that
English is spoken very differently, sometimes so differently that it is not
understandable.
I can correspond exactly with a Newfoundlander or Cockney, but still be at
a total loss over the phone.
Carl, like most American's, has a tendency to want to go with the majority.
If you have to make a decision, why not make the most people happy.
Fortunately, like yourself, I believe there is a better solution to this
problem.
Why not make computers do all the work, eh.
I am not sure what that solution will be, but I agree with you that you
will not convince the majority of the world to use a Phonetic Alphabet
according to some other countries standard of pronunciation. Just not a go.
Still I think there is place in Shavian for dictionaries and a strategy of
writing English words in Shaw that minimizes variation. At least enough so
that the computers can get a handle on it anyway, eh.
Regards, Paul V.
P.S. We used to have a situation in Quebec where the English business
community required French speaker's to speak English if they wanted a job.
Canada is still suffering over that one.
> You are Right. I responded to Ethan on this. I agree that there
should be a standard of spelling for each English-speaking Nation.
>
At 09:14 AM 4/5/04, you wrote:
>Hello
>
>Do you not think this argument is spurious? How far can one go in
>totting up numbers and dividing them into "national dialects"? Will
>it ever produce anything either usable or desirable?
>
>First you ignore that in most countries there is no standard over all
>the population, and that so-called "national dictionaries" cover only
>a blessed and chosen few. The rest of us must make do with the
>dubious title "non-standard".
>
>If you divide people into nations and then proclaim upon each a
>national spelling for shavian then I dare say that many will tell you
>to sit on it.
>
>Next we must understand that shavian is meant to facilitate
>communication in English and manifold spellings will not do this. At
>the moment there is very little difference between English spelling.
>To have any success we need to make sure that gap shrinks and not
>grow.
>
>An acceptable spelling for all English speakers must be found, with
>differences _only_ where there is a real phonemic difference in
>pronunciation. Also it must be made clear to a learner who comes
>across an unfamiliar word (that is, spelt how they would not say it)
>that all English speakers have made a few concessions to reach a
>standard. Otherwise, like above, people will think you are trying to
>make them speak British/American/Australian/Indian and tell you to go
>play in the road.
>
>I hate to sound like I'm coining a bloody motto, but here is the crux
>of my point: without unity there is no point, and without concession
>there can be no agreement.
>
>Thanks for listening
>Joseph
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