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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Pinyin
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References: <59sqso$n2e@reader.seed.net.tw> <7fd8vjvf2k.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk> <E3KM6J.Lq6@midway.uchicago.edu> <7fpvzj5a4h.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 16:54:25 GMT
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In article <7fpvzj5a4h.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>,
Lee Sau Dan ~{@nJX6X~} <sdlee@cs.hku.hk> wrote:
>>>>>> "Daniel" == Daniel von Brighoff <deb5@midway.uchicago.edu> writes:
>
>    >>  By "Chinese-speakers", do you include those non-Mandarin
>    >> speakers?  Bopomofo is for Mandarin, and it is not suprising
>    >> that Cantonese speakers are unfamiliar with this alphabet.
>
>    Daniel> 	Yes.  I'm also including native speakers of Mandarin,
>
>I know that you were including native speakers  of Mandarin.  But were
>you including ALSO speakers of other dialects?

	I was.  That's what "yes" in the above quote means.

>    Daniel> though.  The Mainlanders I know don't seem to be familiar
>    Daniel> with Bopomofo.  Is it taught there at all?
>
>I don't think they are taught the  Bopomofo alphabet.  They are taught
>the Pinyin system instead.

	Exactly.  That's why using Bopomofo to write Chinese words in
English texts would have very limited usefulness right now.  Even most
Chinese speakers wouldn't understand what was being written.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
