From: phantom@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (James Choi)
Subject: Re: Super-set system
Keywords: Korea, writing system
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 16:42:22 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.153845.11222@sunb10.cs.uiuc.edu> ywlee@sunc6.cs.uiuc.edu (Youngwhan Lee) writes:
>For a second example, we Koreans have difficult time to distinguish
>'r' and 'l.' 

Only in foreign language, it seems.  No one seems to pronounce shira
(shilla) or galla (gara meaning "go!").  Although it is the same letter,
Korean people seem to know instictively when to pronouce r or l in Korean
language.  When I give tips to recently arrive Koreans, I tell them to
think of an imaginary extra 'l' (riul) at the end of the previous letter.
Then, they prounouce correctly.  We can laugh at mixing rice with lice.
But when it comes to favorite Korean topic of the moment, election, it gets
touchy...  :)

>>fact, hundreds years of Chinese language (words) and writing system did not
>>shake the Korean language (which did not even have writing system) at its
>>root.
>
>Did not shake? I would say it sure have been affected in many ways.
>The spelling rules would have been easier, for example, because
>we would've spelled 'dogil' instead of 'dok-il' in spelling Germany.

I meant its grammatical structure, not the words.  If not for Chinese, we
would not call Germany "dog-il" in the first place.

>If the writing system is invented just as Han-gul after years of 
>scientific study, you are right. But since most writing system must have
>been evolved many years and they have started with no real scientific
>concept, I must say almost all the language must have been affected by 
>the writing system because they mutually interact.

I have no basis to prove this, but it was my belief that people would do
something to add new symbols to represent the sound you need.  Kana is full
of thoese add-ons.  h sound turns to b sound by adding double dots.  h
turns to p sound by adding a small circle.  Contrary to popular belief,
kana also has 't' and 'k' stop sound by adding little 'tsu' in between
letters.  So, without any way to support my argument, I am saying that
writing system will grow with the language.  Human are too creative to be
limited by our own restrictions.

>>Mr. Hungshik Shin and Mr. Youngwhan Lee say is true.  And I
>>agree on their technical merit.  The question comes down to, as Mr. Andy T.
>>Kim pointed out, "do you care"?  I don't care.
>
>Did you go thru all those discussions to simply to conclude "you don't 
>care"? How convenient!

I can see your "gim-sae-nun" facial expression.  I am not saying I do not
care what you said.  I am saying I do not care about all those potential
possibility that will never be used.  And you are right about I should be
able to be open minded about new things and try to like 24 tone system.  In
general, I am open minded.  The problem is that I cannot get enough out of
12 tone system as it is... (I am having a hell of time in "baroque
counterpoint" composition class right now.  I am very glad there are only
12 tones, even 12 is too many to choose from for me.)  At one point, I have
to declare I do not care.  (That's how one gets married.  One says "I do not
care whom I will meet tomorrow, for me she/he is the one." But that's
beside the point :)

I do care about what hangul has to offer today.  I was saying I am not
going to judge it by what is could, not probably will never need to, do.

>youngwhan.

James Choi, who cares about what he has and tend to ignore the things he
need not face such as being hit by a cosmic objects...
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean