Re: logban '

[Mr Andrew Rosta <ucleaar@UCL.AC.UK>]

Lojbab writes:
> The main reason for not transscribing apostrophe as "h" is NOT that it is not
> equivalent to "h", which is true but a less important point.  The important
> feature about apostrophe is that it doesn't look like a normal alphanbetic
> character in Lojban, and it is not.  Regardless of the formal phonetics,
> in Lojban ' is NOT a consonant.  Nor is it a vowel.  It is a pronunciation
> guide that says devoice the glide between these two vowels when you
> pronounce them as two syllables.

(1) Phonetically, ' is a consonant if [h] is (answer: it sort of is & it
sort of isn't).
(2) Lojbanically, h is not a consonant unless Lojban says it is. If consonants
are defined as the things occupying C slots in morphological templates, then
' or h is not a consonant & it really makes no difference systemically
whether the character ' or h is used.

The debate has no really rational foundation; it is a matter of "which
of ' and h do you feel best suits the way you feel about this non-
consonant intervocalic thingummy, or which do you find most practical".
Neither the antis nor the pros have given any decent arguments against
' and h, but as some people prefer h I feel it can't do much harm to
let them use it.

> Notwithstanding this, the "h" is recognized as an alternate to apostrophe as
> part of a larger system of alternate orthography that is used to make the
> language look more similar to other forms of Loglan.  People who are writing
> in that alternate orthography are welcome to use the "h",

Is this correct? I can't get access to the alternative orthography right
now, but I would have expected that "h" would be an alternative to
"x" if rapprochement with aboriginal Loglan were being sought.

[Incidentally, if people really are making an effort to seek rapprochement
with TLI Loglan, how come Lojbanists don't post their conciliatory
or reconciliatory ideas to the Loglanists list? Granted that there
is a message on that list once in a blue moon, but when there is it
isn't from an active Lojbanist. (An exception is a recent message
from Colin Fine, who coyly mentions "a certain other version of
Loglan", which was taking treading on eggshells a bit far, I
thought.)]

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mihelahoma. And ma.