[Spellyans] dictionnaire de l'Académie française

[Craig Weatherhill]

I note that KD also had diacritical marks, but no one commented or  
objected.  I'm used to them.  Jenner used them, and they're visible  
(usually only circumflexes) on maps and signposts.  I think they have  
a useful part to play, but can they be minimised further in KS?  In  
the end, it isn't Michael, Nicholas or any of us who are going to  
enforce their use.  Individuals will make up their own minds whether  
to use them or not, no matter what anyone says.

I also preferred KS1 and I also wonder if we shouldn't consider  
returning to it.  I am fast losing faith in the SWF, with various  
agreements being broken, and I know that others (notably Jonathan  
Kereve-Clark) have already abandoned it.  I honestly think that things  
are being set up for a pre-arranged fait accompli in 2013.  I really  
don't see that we should follow the SWF any more, but revert to a  
purer Cornish.

Can we see an end to something else, as well?  When someone has been  
self-earning Cornish for only 2 years, publicised criticism of their  
work, in order to belittle them, is the quickest way to alienate them  
from the language completely.  I was deeply disappointed to see that.   
Please don't do it.

Craig



On 30 Gen 2011, at 17:36, Herbie Blackburn wrote:

> This seems a very sensible and well thought out position – I think  
> it is a balanced and practical stance, that maybe most could agree on?
> Andrew wrote:
>
> Here are my views, as requested:
>
> — Should the diacritics in KS be mandatory in all writings?
>
> Diacritical marks should not be mandatory. Who is going to enforce  
> their use? KS may dictate that diacritical marks are always used  
> whenever possible but it may be better to use KS without diacritical  
> marks than to use the current SWF. People should be free to do so  
> without being criticised. The quality of the Cornish and the meaning  
> of what is written is much more important. Diacritical marks make KS  
> more difficult to write but easier to read. Either way it is still  
> Cornish, and still a very big improvement on the SWF (Main), and  
> still an improvement on the SWF (Traditional).
>
>
> — Should they be optional in all writings?
>
> No, dictionaries and the like should always include the diacritical  
> marks so that people who wish to use them will know where they  
> should go.
>
>
>
> — Should they be hightly recommented in lexicographic/reference/ 
> didactic writings and optional elsewhere?
>
> No, if diacritical marks are part of the KS specification, they must  
> be used in all lexicographic/reference/didactic writings that  
> purport to be KS, so that people who wish to use them will know  
> where they should go. I think that they need to be optional  
> elsewhere. Some people (and their technologies) are against their  
> use, can’t or won’t use them. We don’t want people to use KK or the  
> SWF (Main) instead. I think that we can safely claim that they are  
> “incorrect Cornish”. We have sufficient evidence to back up that  
> statement. I don’t think that we should use stronger words. We  
> should try to keep out of the gutter.
>
>
>
> — Or should they have some other role?
>
> I’m not sure what sort of rôles you had on mind. The diacritical  
> marks help the reader to distinguish KS from other forms of Cornish,  
> e.g. the SWF (Traditional) with which it could otherwise be  
> confused. Diacritical marks make the language more precise. That  
> would help in automatic translation from Cornish to other languages  
> (or to other forms of Cornish), and would help automatic text-to- 
> speech readers for the poorly-sighted or drivers, etc.
>
>
>
> — Furthermore, do we currently have a surfeit of diacritics? Could  
> we idealy do with fewer of them?
>
> As long as the diacritical marks are optional, it does not really  
> matter – just leave off the ones you don’t agree with. If they are  
> “compulsory” I should like to see less. I do not think that it is  
> necessary to mark êw/ôw. I do not like ë/ÿ. I would prefer to spell  
> this ei, e.g. beis “world”. I do not like ù. I would prefer to spell  
> this v, e.g. lvst “lust”, arlvth “lord”, pvbonan “everyone”.
>
>
> I hope that the above has answered your questions, and that it will  
> help to form a consensus.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Andrew J. Trim
>
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--
Craig Weatherhill