[Spellyans] The sounds of Cornish

[Michael Everson]

At 01:39 +0100 2008-06-24, A. J. Trim wrote:
>I assume that we are setting out to improve on the SWF. If so, we 
>need to cater for all real Revived Cornish pronunciations from Early 
>Middle Cornish till Dying Late Cornish, as that is what the SWF has 
>set out to do.

That was its brief, yes. (Though I wouldn't use either of those 
terms; I would describe Revived Middle Cornish and Revived Late 
Cornish as two ends of a modern dialect continuum.

>These pronunciations are known. All unreal (i.e. "aspirational") 
>Revived Cornish pronunciations need not be catered for. These 
>pronunciations are also known.

One of the faults which I can identify in the SWF is that it does 
preserve, and thereby promote, "aspirational" pronunciations 
specified in Kernowek Kebmyn.

>I am quite happy to base the spelling on that found in Tudor Cornish.

KS, and thereby the SWF, began with Jordan's Creation of the World as 
the source for many graphs.

I'd like Nicholas to say a word about the term "Tudor Cornish". It's 
not clear to me that what he intended with that term is what Bock and 
Bruch made of it.

>I am happy with the assumption that there are only two lengths for 
>vowels (long & short).

As are we, and as is the SWF.

>When I say jyn, my tongue finishes farther back in my mouth than 
>when I say pen where the tongue ends closer to my teeth. I think 
>that the n of jyn is a little longer - though not a long nn.

These words rhyme perfectly with English "gin" and "pen" (in RMC 
pronunciation; of course in RLC pronunciation the latter is "pedn").
-- 
Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com