Re: logban '

[VILVA@VIIKKI21.HELSINKI.FI]

> Date:          Fri, 30 Jul 1993 10:17:41 +0100
> From:          Colin Fine <C.J.Fine%BRADFORD.AC.UK@FINHUTC.hut.fi>
> Subject:       Re: logban '

> And asks:
> +++++++>
>  Why? The only reason I've ever been given is from Lojbab, who
> calimed that ' is not equivalent to h phonetically.  This
> is not a very good reason, since (a) transcribing Lojban '
> by [h] *would* be approved by the IPA, and (b) not all letters
> of the lojban alphabet (notably c,j,y) correspond to the
> phonetic values ot the same characters in the IPA alphabet.
> >++++++++

  Colin:

> The reason for me is two-fold (and they are related)
>
> 1) 'h' is a letter, and as a letter it is a consonant. Using it
> in lojban distorts the CV structure
> 2) Therefore your -h- rich lojban distorts the (starting to be)
> familiar pattern of lojban words and makes them much harder
> for me to read. (I have to say them out loud to myself, or
> mentally translate them, in order to understand them).
>
> Obviously I could learn to read your format if I put the effort
> in. I do not want to have to cope with variant orthographies
> at this stage, and I prefer the standard lojban orthography
> partly because it's standard and familiar, and partly because
> it captures an important structural feature of the language
> in a way which 'h' hides.
>
>         Colin
>

    I most emphatically agree with Colin on this matter.
    There was a time when I considered using an h instead
    of an apostrophe but came to the conclusion that the
    apostrophe was preferable both technically and
    aesthetically. (Computers/programs must/can be made to
    comply with human practices - not vice versa.)

        Veijo
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 Veijo Vilva       vilva@viikki21.helsinki.fi