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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Anounsing a nu Ingglish spelling
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References: <32CC6CE5.4E47@kkc.hawaii.us> <5bem0b$4u4@news4.digex.net> <E3zGwu.EsC@midway.uchicago.edu> <32DC20DD.5E5C@sn.no>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 06:44:12 GMT
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In article <32DC20DD.5E5C@sn.no>, Simon R. Hughes <shughes@sn.no> wrote:
>Daniel von Brighoff wrote:
>> 
>> In article <5bem0b$4u4@news4.digex.net>,
>> Keith C. Ivey <kcivey@cpcug.org> wrote:
>> >
>> >There are lots more minimal pairs (in US English) using the
>> >flap: "ladder"/"latter", "The rain is beading/beating on the
>> >window", "medal"/"metal", "pedal"/"petal", "feudal"/"futile",
>> >"siding"/"sighting", "bidder"/"bitter", ...
>> >
>> >Of course, your point about phonemic spelling still stands.
>> 
>> Although I didn't do a good job of reflecting this in writing, I meant
>> only minimal pairs involving [@j] and [aj].  Still, you managed to find at
>> least one more: <siding>/<sighting>.  And I suspect ya were neven haff
>> tryin.
>
>Minimal pairs have only to do with the distinguishing of phonemes - 
>nothing to do with the orthography of a language. 

They have everything to do with formulating a more phonemic orthography.

>The sound system of a 
>language comes (these days) from the raw data of contemporary native 
>speakers of that language, whereas the orthography of a language is more 
>likely to originate from historical textual sources and thus outdated 
>sound systems.

You're speaking descriptively.  Isn't it obvious from context that we're
speaking prescriptively (not to mention hypothetically)?
-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
