16.718, FYI: Writing Systems: Marathi Roman Script

[LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-16-718. Thu Mar 10 2005. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 16.718, FYI: Writing Systems: Marathi Roman Script

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            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>

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        Terry Langendoen, U of Arizona

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1)
Date: 10-Mar-2005
From: Madhukar N. Gogate < mngogate at vsnl.com >
Subject: Writing Systems: Marathi Roman Script

	
-------------------------Message 1 ----------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 17:35:23
From: Madhukar N. Gogate < mngogate at vsnl.com >
Subject: Writing Systems: Marathi Roman Script


Madhukar N Gogate (Pune, India), Moderator, initiated a discussion
considering use of Roman script and Devanagari script for the Marathi
language.  The discussion ran from 1 Feb 2005 to 28 Feb 2005, and can be
viewed at the URL below, see M11-M12- E03-E04  in website:

http://www.mngogate.com/

All messages are available to members as archives. Main
points of discussion are  noted here.

For more information, email mngogate at vsnl.com
Comments invited.

1. Marathi uses Devanagari (DN) script. It has many merits. It should
prosper. Emails in DN are possible but often there are font problems.
Roman script is linear and easy for typing and word-indexing. English
language has global importance. In future, there will be huge
development  of electronic things, using the Roman script (lipi). DN-
based products may  not be viable. So take optional Roman lipi for
Marathi.

2. Language and script are separate entities. Kids, blind persons and
illiterates speak a language though unable to read. Some languages
are  multi-script. We use Marathi, but also use English when needed.
Similarly,  use Roman when needed.

3. Roman script has only 26 symbols, which are not sufficient to
denote various Marathi sounds. There are 4 methods to tackle the
deficiency (- 1 -) Use digraphs, that is 2-letter combinations such as
aa, ae.  Strictly speaking aa is not a + a, and ae is not a + e. But
imagine they are single symbols (- 2 -) Use apo = apostrophe  mark.
Example - (dagad') = stone.  (d, d') have slightly varying  sounds. (d)
has sound of th-they in English.  (d' ) has sound of d-dog  in English (-
3 -) Roman script is a twin script.  English treats  smalls and capitals
with equal phonetic values. But Marathi may carry  different values.
Examples -- a (u-up English) A (rAjA = king) d (d in  dagad') D (d' in
dagad'). But intermittent capitals within words are  eyesores. (- 4 -)
Give up symbols of defunct sounds. Example -  (r'sh'i) may be
written as (rushi) or (rishi).

4. Generally, words should be spelled as per standard Marathi
symbols.  English words such as police, icecream may be easily
respelled in Marathi as polis, aaiskrim. But people may object to
respelled names for reasons of documents and sentiment. Respelling
of technical words may hurt for science.  Such words and names may
be started with capitals for cautioning. Example -- Sodium Chloride.
Its sound (sod'iyam  kloraaid') may be explained.  Similarly, use
capitals for starting  all words in English quotations and when one is
not sure. Example --  respell as (pepar) or write (Paper).

5. Usual practice of a capital at start and a dot at end of a  sentence,
deserves review. First word (with capital) of a sentence  would give a
wrong signal that it is technical. There may be some  unrespelled
words, with capitals, at various locations in a  paragraph. A single dot
is not visible.  A triple dot (...) will easily  denote the end of a
sentence. Leave a blank space after it, before  starting the next
sentence. Use single dots after initials of  names. Sentence-ending (!
and ?) need two extra dots.

6. A change in script gives an opportunity to drop some anomalies.
For  example, when English words are expressed in DN, we drop the
second (  l ) in (sell) and the silent (h) in (honest). We may change DN
forms  (sarakaara, uchcha, r'sh'i, madhye, duh'kha) to Roman words
(sarkaar,  utcha, rushi, madhe, dukkha). We may omit DN duality ( i -
ee, u - V  oo) but take new duality (ch - ch', j - j') We may take (aa) or
(a')  = (a - arm) to distinguish from (a) = (both a - american). We
may  take (sat + tya = sattya = truth) (pun'+ n'ya = pun'n'ya =spiritual
merit) to distinguish from (ty - tyaag ) (n'y - pun'yaat = In  Pune).
Few anomalies might persist. DN word ghara (=home) is usually
uttered as ghar, but in some recitals as ghara (Example -- he
vishvachi maaj' he ghara). Roman word would be ghar (with
optional  sound ghara).

7. People will accept Roman script if it is made reasonably phonetic,  if
it has only an optional status, and if it can be adopted without  making
any changes in English-typing machines available with  people. All
machines may not be latest models. Also, all people are  not scholars.
The script should be easy. Words teraa (= 13) tel (=  oil) have rhasva-
dirgha pronunciation of (e) but its symbol is common  in DN. Similarly,
it may be ok to cancel the duality of (i-ee), (u-oo)  in Roman. Names
Hindi, Marathi are shown in DN with dirgha (ee) at  end, but we accept
rhasva ending (i) in English.

8. Above points were partly discussed. Also following -- People use
(a) for both (a, aa) in Marathi names. (aa) unduly makes Roman
words  long and tedious. Make no change. But (a, aa) are needed for
phonetic  clarity. Use of (a') for (aa) might help. Symbol (u') may
be  reserved for (su'lfu'r) etc. A suggestion was about using (w)
in  place of (v). Not ruled out, but (w) is not popular due to squeezed
shape (in manual typewriters, equal space to every symbol), its
complex symbol name, and to avoid clash of dev (= God) with English
word (dew). A suggestion was about using the stroke \ (like a
maatraa  symbol in DN) and so on. It does not ensure the (a-z) link of
Marathi  to the great electronic and information world. (a-z) is already
used  for phone books. Spellings should also work vertically in
puzzles. A  suggestion was about using diacritical marks such as a
horizontal bar  above (a) to denote (aa). It was used in few scholarly
Sanskrit  books. It is good but not practical, since it is absent in most
PCs  and machines.  Marathi has some diphthongs = vowel after
vowel. Thus  -- aai = mother. Some training is required to read (aai) as
(aa + i )  and not as (a + ai).

9. Marathi M12 pdf (with few English hints) in:

http://www.mngogate.com/

gives demo of 8 Marathi proverbs. (triple  dot, aa, apo, i = ee, u = oo
used. No name, no capital). Marathi does  not have sounds of (a-cat)
(aw-law) except for few English words.  Show  them as (ae) (ao). Any
proposal of optional Roman lipi for Marathi  will progress for emails,
websites etc if symbol sound relations are  standardized. At present, people use
arbitrary Roman symbols for  emails. Efforts are needed to propagate a practical
standard, using  Marathi language, for Marathi people. This note in
English may help  others too. A script should look nice. Irregular
English spellings can  affect Marathi in the Roman arena. Respell
them, or take them with the  capital symbol "guards".


This article neat 2 page 40 kB attachment is available on request
mngogate at vsnl.com



Linguistic Field(s): Writing Systems

Subject Language(s): Marathi (MRT)





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