Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site uwai.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!uwai!root From: root@uwai.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Phonetic spelling isn't practical Message-ID: <151@uwai.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 16:15:09 EST Article-I.D.: uwai.151 Posted: Thu Nov 8 16:15:09 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 03:54:06 EST References: <4147@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 13 > Perhaps conditions are different for "small" languages (I understand that > Hungarian is actually written phonetically), but it seems unlikely to me that > any old, widespread,culturally diverse language like English, Spanish, French, > Chinese,Portuguese or Russian can possibly be accurately described in a static > form. > Excuse me, but Spanish and Portuguese are written is as close to a phonetic spelling as you're apt to find, thus proving that it certainly can work. Not that I am advocating changing things, since it would never be accepted, but God knows that French and English could use some help. Chinese we'll not even mention, since it doesn't even have an alphabet. As for Russian, didn't I once read that it's spelled phonetically as well?