LL-L "Orthography" 2003.09.18 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 18.SEP.2003 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting Address: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
=======================================================================

From: Matthew Worsham <matthew_worsham at yahoo.com>
Subject: orthography


I think the sample of scrambled text which was posted earlier is an
interesting example of an informal test of language fluency.  Of course the
placement of 'th', 'ng' and other important phonemes at the beginnings or
endings of English words is crucial to the visual recognition of words, but
it still takes a fairly high degree of fluency to be able to infer from
these visual cues what is meant--at least at a conversational pace.  Just
like the idea that you know you're approaching fluency in a language when
you can appreciate a pun or some other subtle play on words--whether the
joke is funny or not!

Oddly enough, I find myself going through a similar visual/mental process
when attempting to read text written in a West Germanic language that I’m
not familiar with.  While this approach doesn't work at all well outside the
community of West Germanic languages, and is not consistently effective even
within it, I find that by comparing what I see written against what I
already know of other related languages I can frequently attain at least a
superficial understanding and sometimes even a fairly complete appreciation
for what’s written.  At least in writing!  Spoken language is another thing
entirely!

I don’t wish to minimize the subtle and not-so subtle differences which make
all of our Germanic sister- and cousin-languages unique and vital unto
themselves as much as to draw attention to how a humorous bit of internet
text can make us look at how we process language, and in turn appreciate the
many similarities that we all share.



Matt W.


----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Orthography

Matt,

Thanks for your posting (above), and welcome to the circle of the non-silent
Lowlands-L minority!  Good to hear from you.

I think you have made a really interesting point, and, no, I don't think it
amounts to minimizing anything.

When this subject of scrambled letters first came up I thought of the
process of reading largely iconographic writing systems like the Chinese
one.  However, I have almost abandoned this as a "light-shedder," because I
feel it involves something different.  Some Chinese characters have variant
forms, such as those that contain all the same elements in a different
arrangement, which really creates a different "picture."  As soon as I come
across one of the less frequently encountered ones I do not immediately
recognize it, need to stop and analyze it (like any newly encountered
character) and then proceed with the assumption that it is a variant of a
familiar character.  (It has happened that I did not recognize one despite
having all the same elements, because the picture looked so different, and I
had to look it up in a dictionary.)  To varying degrees, this is true also
where there are variations in stroke or shape.  In a way it is similar to
the scrambled letter situation, but I feel it is more of an impediment,
perhaps because processing Chinese characters is even more like processing
pictures.  I wonder if the same can be said of variation in sign languages.

Likening the reading of scrampled letters to reading related languages is
food for thought.  I think this process involves continuous digging for
cognates.  Of course, this can lead to misunderstandings, given the large
number of "false friends" and cases such as connecting Dutch and Afrikaans
_of_ ('or') with English "of," and the like.  However, as you said, we
usually understand at least the general gist of such texts.  Reading
comprehension usually improves with time (as most of us who have been with
LL-L for some time will agree).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================