Orthography

[Lance Foster]

I looked at your new orthography and found it right on, Jimm!

I see it has addressed my own frustrations quite well, and with your permission, I
will adapt my own work to correspond to your new orthography..it is indeed a giant
step in the right direction, and can only help us nonspeakers. Plainly, it kicks
butt, hintaro!

I am very impressed that you were able to get the many voices together in agreement.
Not an easy task, and I am plumb amazed! I hope my efforts are somehow able to
complement yours, as well as Dr. Furbee's.

Warigroxi,
Lance



Jimm G GoodTracks wrote:

> Approximately two (2) years ago (1999), I contemplated how to make a more
> precise Baxoje-Jiwere Orthography, and composed the following set to
> eliminate some of the confusion with nasal verbs marked by "n", as well
> as the confussion between the "ny" & "ng".
>
> In as much as this represented a change from the orthography of IOM Bks I
> & II, and the IOM Dictionary (1992), I thought it well to review the
> change with community members before, formalizing the new set of
> characters [fonts] (enclosed here via attachment formated via MSWord 95).
>
> The review was carried out with an explaination of how the new characters
> would facilitate an accurate rendering of the language.  A number of
> community members active in their present contemporary culture and tribal
> events in Perkins, Red Rock, & White Cloud were consulted.  All
> individuals have partial knowledge of the IOM language from their
> respective families, and/or have studied the language with others in the
> respective communities.  Upon their acceptance of the proposed set, I
> composed the enclosed Orthography Update (5/99).
>
> The only character rejected was a single "c" or "c^ (hachek) for the
> sound of "ch".  I suggested that it could be written  as "c^h", as we
> think ahead and move towards the tentative time of new learners/ speakers
> to become familiar and accepting the "c^" (hachek) for the sound in the
> future, in as much as all fluent speakers are deceased.  There was no
> consideration of the Greek letters theta for "th" nor delta for "dh" were
> not considered.
>
> Of late,
> There has been discussion of vowel length, and possible marking of it.
> This needs to be under further review.
> Also, the discussions have been on-going in regard to marking aspiration
> distintions.  However, as BobR. has pointed out that recordings of Truman
> Dailey, Franklin Murray, Lizzie Harper, as well as, Joe Young, Betsy
> Dupee Young, Mary Dupee Irving,  Grace Kihega, Ella Brown, Alice Sines,
> Robert Moore, Fannie Grant (just to name a few more on record) make the
> aspiration distinction 100% of the time.  So for the non-speaker of IOM,
> it is a matter of learning to hear the distinctions, and accurately
> reiterate/ render the spoken word.
>
> Both Bob and John have commented on the fact that Siouan Languages are
> not English.  If the student of the particular language is committed,
> they will learn the orthography that has been adapted and standardized by
> individuals who have been working with it over several decades, as
> opposed to the recently introduced student.  For that student, if it
> helps them learn it, by writing a sounding out in English glosses, then
> permit them to do so.
> Jimm
>
> P.S.  In the last two years, other individuals have consulted me to
> assist in rendering an accurate written form (words) and pronunciation of
> their family Native names from the dot-dash English phonics of past
> records.  In each case, I've written them in the updated orthography to
> their satisfaction.  Others across the country, have asked for stories
> and narratives, which have been sent in the updated orthography.  To
> date, I have heard no negative responces, either directly nor indirectly.
>  Indeed, I receive "Thank You's" of appreciation, and maybe an
> occassional remark of "I can make it out (IOM)" or "I need to learn how
> to read it".
>
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                                Name: Orthographic Updates.doc
>    Orthographic Updates.doc    Type: Microsoft Word Document (application/msword)
>                            Encoding: base64

--
Lance Michael Foster
Email: ioway at earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~ioway
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