Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!hogpc!houxb!hrs
From: hrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Phonetic spelling isn"t practical
Message-ID: <389@houxb.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 14:15:22 EST
Article-I.D.: houxb.389
Posted: Wed Nov  7 14:15:22 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 06:24:52 EST
References: decwrl.4147
Lines: 24



It is possible to legislate phonetic spelling. In the Ntherlends,
there have been a series of spelling reform laws. The first of these
had just taken effect when I started first grade. I therefore learned a different
spelling from my father, who wrote in old speeling. The spelling revision
eliminated for example the use of "sch" in places where it was
pronounced "s". It also eliminated the use of double consonants
in spelling where they were pronounced identical to single
consonants.
In the sixties there was another revision which changed "c" to "k",
it it was pronounced as a "k", such as in oktober, and many
other changes. 
I admit that even before these changes Dutch was in general
phonetically spelled, unlike English, and thus the changes
were much smaller. 
The whole notion of "correct" spelling is relatively new, vide
even US documents from the 18th and early 19th century.
Since there is no "legal" spelling in the US, one is presumably
free to spell in any way one wishes. Still, it has become
the mark of an educated person to spell and use words correctly,
using a recent dictionary ( or "spell" ) as a guide.

Herman Silbiger