Why y?

["Mark E. Shoulson" <cbmvax!uunet!CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU!pucc.PRINCETON.EDU!shoulson>]

And writes:

>[My preferred coup is to make [@] the buffer vowel & dispense with
>/y/ hyphens.]

Yes, I recall you've mentioned that.  I was wondering, though, what your
proposal is regarding the morphological uses of "y".  Remember, "y" is used
not just to break up impermissable consonant clusters (where it could be
replaced with the buffer), but also as something of morphological
significance.  For example, the classic "*diklujvo" problem.  While your
"?dikjvo" would be okay, were it not for the "kj" cluster which is
impermissable by current Lojban rules, the earlier "*diklujvo" would not,
despite its lack of impermissable clusters.

If you recall, Bob (at Nora's prompting, I think) pointed out that
"*diklujvo" fails the "*tosmabru" test:  namely, there's no way to
distinguish "*diklujvo" (brivla for regular-lujvo) from "di klujvo" (bridi:
"Z is a cultural-lujvo").  This can be remedied simply, by using
"dikylujvo", or by using a different form of the lujvo.  Note that here the
"y" serves a morphological purpose, preventing the "di" from falling off
the beginning of the word, bridging the cluster.  Would you forbid all
*tosmabru-failing forms and just do away with the simple fix of adding a
"y"?  That's not so bad, but understand that you're doing it.

Oh, what the hell, here's a nice keen problem word with your plan, and it
even has meanings:  "?bastrapli".  I mark it with a ? because it *is* a
legal Lojban word by current rules.  It's a lujvo, with underlying tanru
"basti tarmi pilno"=="replace-shape-use".  Maybe describes using something
to change something's shape?  A poor lujvo, I'll grant.  HOWEVER, if you
forbid "y" hyphens, there'll be now way of determining "bastrapli" from
"bastyrapli", which comes from "basti rapli"=="replace repeat".  Noe that
neither case requires a "y" for pronunciation reasons, only for the
morphology.  Note also that "bastyrapli" is the "fully expanded" form of
the lujvo, the one you least want to make illegal, because it's the most
recognizable.

Well, And, I'm just giving you some food for thought.  No good idea can get
anywhere without some healthy resistance.

~mark