[Spellyans] short unstressed i

[nicholas williams]

On 27 Jun 2008, at 11:35, Michael Everson wrote:

> At 09:36 +0100 2008-06-27, nicholas williams wrote:
>> I have shown that KK is completely incoherent in its distribution of
>> the graphs <i> and <y>.
>> Because the SWF MF has inherited much of KK the same incoherence is
>> maintained, rather than simplified.
>
> One thing we had agreed for KS was to use what we called
> "etymological" spellings in final unstressed syllables. By this we
> meant that words like "colon", "holan", "pellen" would retain the
> vowel which re-appears when suffixes are added: "colonow", "holanow",
> "pellednow/pellennow".
>
> I am pretty sure that this notion of "etymological" spellings was
> conveyed by Andrew Climo to the AHG -- although the SWF specification
> uses a different meaning from the one we used, namely, that
> "etymological" should refer to George's (very uncertain in my view)
> reconstructed etymologies. I believe that we should continue with our
> understanding and not by any means be fettered by George's
> reconstructions. (Why should "onen" be changed to be written "onan"?
> because KK has it that way?)
>
> Having said that, Nicholas, what are the imolications for the words
> you list below:
>
>> If we take short unstressed i [I] for example, we notice that it is
>> spelt with <y> in some words and with <i>
>> in others. Here are some examples from Dan's dictionary:
>>
>> kunys 'firewood', palys 'palace' but gonis 'till ground, chalis  
>> 'chalice'
There is not reason for the difference in spelling. I cannot see what  
would be wrong with gonys and chalys.
>>
>>
>> kryjyk 'believing', krityk 'critic' but Mestresik 'Miss', meppik  
>> 'little boy'

KK and SWF use -ik for diminutives and -yk for the adjectival ending.  
I should spell meppyk and Mestresyk as did Nance.
>>
>>
>> glesin 'lawn', kegin 'kitchen', kennin 'leeks' but termyn 'time',
>> melyn 'yellow', kemmyn 'common'

Why not glesyn, kegyn and kenyn? They are so spelt in UC and UCR
>>
>>
>> jentyl 'gentile' but krokodil 'crocodile'.

I cannot see what is wrong with crocodyl/krokodyl.
>>
>>
>> These examples contained a short unstressed [I] after the main
>> stresss. Pretonic [I] is equally chaotic.
>>
>> How do they expect anyone to learn this?
The rule ought to be that plurals and derivatives of i-words should  
retain i: tir tiryow, gwir, gwiryoneth.

Elsewhere the default symbol for short i should be y.

Nicholas
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Spellyans mailing list
> Spellyans at kernowek.net
> http://kernowek.net/mailman/listinfo/spellyans_kernowek.net