LL-L "Orthography" 2002.03.03 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 03.MAR.2002 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Orthography"

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Orthography
>
> I think you have created a solid foundation schematically and
> consceptually.  What you have done (spending your Snday afternoon) is
> pretty much what I had suggested "ages" ago when you and I "tangoed."
> :)

My dancing has much improved since then  :)

Unfortunately I'm still not receiving diacritics properly
from your mailer, but I can see what's meant to be there!

I've written a Word macro for doing experimental substitions
and upgraded it with your suggestions except for the <ae>
suggestion, which I've merged with the other <a> spellings -
doesn't matter, as it's just experimental. When run on the
original text it gives the following results, which could
still be made more "recognisable" without succumbing to the
influence of English (it doesn't express vowel length at all -
a reading key derived from the macro is given below).

I have to point out that however unfamiliar this may look, it
has the teaching and learning advantage of absolute consistency
(though it's not absolutely phonetic).

Whan chapman biliz leevz dhi streets,
An drouthi neebirz neebirz meets,
Az merkit daiz iz weerin lait,
An fok beginz ti tak dhi gait,
Wee thinksna on dhi lang Skots meylz
Dhi mosiz, watirz, slaps an steylz,
Dhat lyz utween us an our haim,
Whar sits our sulki, sulen daim,
Gedhirin hir brouz leyk gedhirin storm,
Nursin hir rath ti keep it warm.

Dhis truith fand onist Tam O'Shantir
Az hai fai air ai nikht did kantir,
Ald air, wham neer u toun surpasiz
Fir onist men an boni lasiz.

A, Tam! Had dhou but been sai weys
Az tain dhy ain weyf Kait's udveys,
Shi tald dhee weel dhou wiz u skelum,
U bledhirin, blustirin, drunken blelum!
Dhat fai Novembir til Oktobir
Ai merkit nikht dhou wizna sobir,
Dhat ilka meldir wi dhi milir,
Dhou sat az lang az dhou had silir,
Dhat iviri naig wiz kad u shui on
Dhi smith an dhee gat rorin fou on,
Dhat at dhee Lord'z hous, eevin on Sundai,
Dhou drank wi Kirktin Jeen til Mundai.
Shi profiseed dhat lait or suin,
Dhou wad bee fund deep dround in Doun,
Or kacht wi warliks i' dhi mirk
Bi Alowa'z ald hantit kirk.

A, jentil daimz, it garz mee greet
Ti think hou moni kounsilz sweet,
Hou moni lernit, saij udveysiz,
Dhi huzbind fai dhi weyf dispeysiz.

But ti our tail...

<o> /o(:)/

<y> /a:I/
<ey> /@i/ (this is Lorimer's way of distinguishing from /a:I/)
<ow> /Vu/
<ou> /u(:)/
<ee> /i(:)/
<ai> /e:/
<a> /a:/ and /Q:/ (this merge aids writing, I think
                   - or /Q/ could be written <au>)

<eukh> /jux/, /jVx/ (diaphonemic)
<euk> /juk/, /jVk/ (diaphonemic)
<ui> /ü/ &c (diaphonemic)

<th> /T/
<dh> /D/
<nk> /Nk/
<ng> /N/
<zh> /Z/
<sh> /S/
<ch> /tS/
<kh> /x/
<wh> /W/

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Orthography

Sandy,

> Unfortunately I'm still not receiving diacritics properly
> from your mailer, but I can see what's meant to be there!

This is so weird, considering that I can read your and everyone else's.
Anyway, instead of guessing you ought to check the posting in the
archive:
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Hopefully you will see the diacritics there or tinker with the decoding
modes until you can.

What you've done in the meantime (above) is pretty much the way I would
have gone myself, integrating English-type and traditional graphemes.
I, as a non-Scots speaker, still feel fairly confident that I could read
it out loud and would be understood by a Scots speaker.

> <a> /a:/ and /Q:/ (this merge aids writing, I think
>                    - or /Q/ could be written <au>)

I would definitely distinguish them unless they are allophones -- so <a>
or <aa> vs <au> or <aw>.

> <eukh> /jux/, /jVx/ (diaphonemic)
> <euk> /juk/, /jVk/ (diaphonemic)

How about <iukh> and <iuk> instead (<i> being better for /j/ in my
opinion)?

> <nk> /Nk/
> <ng> /N/

I had done that but neglected to mention it.

> I've written a Word macro for doing experimental substitions ...

I had done it with find-and-replace and would have also ended up writing
a macro in the end.  I do that for Low Saxon (Low German)
transliterations.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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