What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a simple word like language?
Grammar, syntax, morphology or phonology?

For me the latter would apply! When I think of language, I think about how it sounds and what the speaker is trying to convey by through {his,her} organized sounds and physical gestures.

Which brings me to the next ‘problem’. How to describe it or to be more precise how do we want to convey our speech? For that we use symbols aka an alphabet, problem with this approach is. That ‘we’ the civilians of this planet all have a {different take,regional,local view} on this. So despite the fact that we can use a set of graphemes to resemble the sounds we wish to convey on paper. There is not a one grapheme system to rule them all on this planet. Yes, of course there are some out there but to be honest we all want to have our system to supersede all others. 😉 Sings Everybody wants to rule the world.

Back to top.

What you are about to see is, if you expand this piece of source code, a transliteration ‘proposal’ I have worked on some time ago. I had intentionally hid it in the source code of a web page before but now I want to show it to you …

The keyboard layout I used: US (international) with dead keys.
Please note, that throughout my life I have been influenced by American English more than British English.

Why this mirror?
Váe ðýs mý.ryr?
Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill.
Váe ou váe dý.dynt áe teik ðy b(y)lu pýl.
Table of Contents.
Tei.byl of kon.tenc.
etc.etc.etc...
online-preface.html = Welcome to the Jargon
File
Vel.kom tu ðy Gz@r.gon Fáel
I. pt01.html = Introduction
Ýn.trou.dak.šyn
1. introduction.html = Hacker Slang and Hacker
Culture
He.kyr Sleang ent He.kyr kal.tzyr
2. distinctions.html = Of Slang, Jargon, and
Techspeak
Of Sleang, Gz@r.gon, ent {Tek.spik || Tej.spik}
3. revision-history.html = Revision
History
Ri.wý.šyn Hý.sto.ri
4. construction.html = Jargon Construction
Gz@r.gon Kon.strak.šyn
verb-doubling.html = Verb Doubling
Wŷrb da.blýng
soundalike-slang.html = Soundalike
Slang
Zaunð.y.láek Sleang
p-convention.html = The -P Convention
Ðy -P(i) Kon.wen.šyn
overgeneralization.html = Overgeneralization
Ou.wyr.gze.ny.ry.láe.zei.šyn
inarticulations.html = Spoken
inarticulations
Spou.kyn Ýn.@r.tý.kǔ.lei.šyns
anthropomorphization.html = Anthropomorphization
Æn.þrou.py.mor.fáe.zei.šyn
comparatives.html = Comparatives
Kom.pe.ry.týfs
5. writing-style.html = Hacker Writing
Style
He.kyr Vráe.týng Stáel
6. email-style.html = Email Quotes and Inclusion
Conventions
I.meil kvouc end Ýng.klu.šyn Kon.wen.šyns
7. speech-style.html = Hacker Speech Style
He.kyr Spicz Stáel
8. international-style.html = International
Style
Ýn.tyr.ne.šy.nyl Stáel
9. crackers.html = Crackers, Phreaks, and
Lamers
Kræ.kyrs, Friks end Lee.myrs
10. pronunciation.html = Pronunciation
Guide
Prou.nun.si.ě.šyn Gáed
11. conventions.html = Other Lexicon
Conventions
A.þyr Lek.si.kon Kon.wen.šyns
12. submitting-new-entries.html = Format for New
Entries
Foar.met foar Nǐv En.triz
II. lexicon.html = The Jargon Lexicon
Ðy Gz@r.gon Lek.si.kon
go01.html = Glossary
Glo.sy.ri
III. pt03.html = Appendices
Y.pen.di.sýz
A. appendixa.html = Hacker Folklore
He.kyr Foulk.loar
meaning-of-hack.html = The Meaning of
Hack
Ðy mi.nýng of Hek
tv-typewriters.html = TV Typewriters: A Tale of
Hackish Ingenuity
T.W. Táep.vráe.tyrs: Y Teel of He.kisz Ýn.gzy.nǐ-u.vy.ti
magic-story.html = A Story About
Magic
Y sto.ri y.baut Mæ.gzýk
koans.html = Some AI Koans
Sam "EE ÁE" Kouns
koans.html#id3141171 = Tom Knight and the
Lisp Machine
Tom Náet end ðy Lýsp My.shin
koans.html#id3141202 = Moon instructs a
student
Mun ýn.strakc y stǔ.dynt
koans.html#id3141241 = Sussman attains
enlightenment
Sǔs.myn y.teins en.láe.tyn.mynt
koans.html#id3141308 = Drescher and the
toaster
Dre.šyr end ðy tous.tyr
os-and-jedgar.html = OS and JEDGAR
OU.S end J.ED.GYR
story-of-mel.html = The Story of Mel
Ðy Sto.ri of Mel
B. appendixb.html = A Portrait of J. Random
Hacker
Y por.tryt of Gzee. Ren.dym He.kyr
appearance.html = General Appearance
Gze.ny.ryl Y.pi.ryns
dress.html = Dress
Dres
reading_habits.html = Reading Habits
Ri.dýng He.býc
other-interests.html = Other Interests
O.ðyr Ýn.ty.resc
physical.html = Physical Activity and
Sports
Fý.sy.kyl Æk.tý.wy.ti end Sporc
education.html = Education
E.dǔ.kee.šyn
hates.html = Things Hackers Detest and
Avoid
Þýngs He.kyrs Di.test end Y.woet
food.html = Food
Fut
politics.html = Politics
Po.ly.týks
demographics.html = Gender and
Ethnicity
Gzen.dyr ent Æþ.ný.sy.ti
religion.html = Religion
Ri.lý.gzyn
chemicals.html = Ceremonial Chemicals
Sý.ry.mou.ni.yl Kæ.mý.kyls
communication_style.html = Communication
Style
Ky.mǔ.ni.kee.šyn Stáel
geography.html = Geographical
Distribution
Gzi.ou.græ.fý.kyl Dýs.tri.bǔ.šyn
sex.html = Sexual Habits
Sek.sǔ.yl He.býc
personality.html = Personality
Characteristics
Pŷr.sy.ne.ly.ti Ke.ryk.ty.rýs.týks
weaknesses.html = Weaknesses of the Hacker
Personality
Vik.ny.sys of ðy He.kyr Pŷr.sy.ne.ly.ti
miscellaneous.html = Miscellaneous
Mý.sy.lee.ni.ys
C. appendixc.html = Helping Hacker Culture
Grow
Hel.pýng He.kyr Kal.tzyr Grouv
pt03.html#bibliography = Bibliography
Bý.bli.o.gry.fi
Transliteration 'proposal' I am working on...
Keyboard layout used:  US (international) with dead keys.
Please note, that throughout my life I have been influenced more by
American /Y.me.ri.kyn/ English /Ýñ.glýsz/ than English!!!
Vowels:
 a  = Dutch a (approx ~ b/a/th)  (actually the a in bi/a/tch is its equal)
      (biяcz || bi-acz You choose!)
      Bi kúl (nýga)!
      Dount tel mi tu bi kúl, Áe EM kúl!
      Þegk yu men!  (Nav bi on yôr vee.)
 ȧ  = like l/o/ve (Exaggerate!)  Vac lȧw enivee?  Bat y svit olð fæšynð noušyn.
 @  = British /a/ as in /a/rt
 ä  = British /a/ as in f/u/n, b/u/n, /o/ne
      Honestly!  a and ä are to ambiguous to be used as separate graphemes.
ai  = ā Dutch aa (approx ~ haw/a/ii without the ii sound)
ae  = Japanese for yes h/ae/  (think Latin:  either /Y/ulius Caesar or /Gz/ulius /K/aesar?)
ey  = Dutch ei or ij (French approx ~ cons/ei/l)
      [ɛi] renders as either {ij || ij} or ei in Dutch.
áe  = Dutch aai/aaj/aay (wh/y/, /I/)
aa  = Dutch kayak {k/aa/k || k/áa/k || k/āa/k}
au  = /ow/ (wow, plow, cow)
av  = alternative to au?
ái  = Dutch dialect prolonged aa /aaa/
áu  = Dutch dialect prolonged au /aau/
áv  = Obvious right!?
Ambiguous e.
 æ  = Dutch/English e as in pet, cat
 e  = as in rant
ei  = ē (Japanese long e, e.g. gei.sha not gee.sha)
      (I can stil hear softening at the end)
 é  = Czech long e (without softening! True length.)
ee  = Czech ending ej. Dutch (h)ey twee. English hay, may {ēe || ée}
ea  = ė as in fair, crème
 ê  = alternative to ea
 y  = Mute e as occurs in Dutch endings like wein/ig/ spel/en/ hakk/ûh/
      or as in English endings like nob/le/ heav/en/ /nou.byl/ /he.wyn/
 ŷ  = Prolonged "schwa" (y) Dutch fr/eu/le, English j/ou/rnal.  Basically each
      mute 'e' that happens.
      A: to be succeeded by an /r/ (sounds more like α than its Dutch thrilled equivalent)
         (Note: The German r in e.g. der alte /deя/ /al.ty/ also differs greatly from English and Dutch.)
      B: Manages to carry the stress of the word.  (This appears to happen in English more often.)
      Note however that a verb /wŷrb/ like to occur actually has a 'prolonged' ŷ sound.
 ÿ  = French/Dutch eu.
yy  = alternative to ÿ?
ev  = "Slavic" eu /Ev/ropejski Ev.rou.pee.ski
 ý  = Dutch i. English th/i/ck.
 i  = Dutch i,ie. English e,ee,ea
 í  = Prolonged Dutch i as in anal/y/ze
ia  = "colored"/"sandhi" Dutch double ee when followed by r.  /eer/lijk /iar/.lyk
 î  = alternative to ia?
 ï  = Dutch u,uu. German k/ü/che.  French b/u/reau.  English new /nyi.(ï)w/ /nǐv/
      ii/ij alternatives to ï? ij = ij in html.
      https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/IJ_%28digraph%29#Encoding
ie  = Softened i compare Russian ий /yy/ ending.
 o  = as o in cot (the o is less rounded sounding in Dutch)
ou  = ō as in b/o/ne
oa  = as in he swoops and he s/oar/s
 ô  = alternative to oa?
oe  = as in t/oy/
óe  = Dutch /ooi/ {oue || ōe}
      (Stouv ðy beli eekýng zouldzyr!)
 u  = as in wh/oo/ps (approx ~ oe (shorter) in Dutch)
ui  = ū as in f/oo/l
ue  = Dutch oei as when we say 'foei' fue (like saying bad or naughty [with a smile])
      Now you know how I view a word like foo.  : -)
      (Polish mój [mine] twój [your) sound exactly the same as (m)ue (tf)ue.)
Consonants:
c   = as in /cz/ar
s   = long s as in German ß
z   = as the s in bus
ð   = th(at)
þ   = th(orn)
j   = γ Spanish ro/j/o [the x in Mexico crossed my mind so did the kh in khaled.]
      x could potentially be used to indicate the ž (ż) e.g. {Xianhai || Šanghae?}
w   = Polish character for v.
# ẃ = Dutch labiodental w (its just a mute v).
v   = Czech character for w.
Softening:
I write progressive meaning a vowel succeeding a softened consonant
gets the diacritic (if possible!?).
cz/č, sz/š, szcz/šč, gz/ǧ, tz, x/ž = ch, sh, shh, j, ch (ч, ш, щ, /дж/, ч, ж)
Cěk/Ček, sǒv/šov, Szcě.tin/szcze.tin, děz/gzez, tǒk.lyt/tzok.lyt, ple.xŷr
Czech    show     'Szczetin'          jazz      chocolat          pleasure
Or
ǎ, ě, i, ǒ, ǔ  = ya, ye, yi, yo, yu (я, е, и, ё, ю)
Examples:
English.
Unsaved Document One
anzeiwd Dokǔment Van
A year has three hundred and sixty five days
Y {yir || ǐr} hez Þri handryd end zýksti wáef deez
Nederlands.
Onopgeslagen Document Een
On.op.jy.slai.jyn Dou.kij.ment Een
Een jaar heeft driehondertenvijfenzestig dagen
Yn {yair || ǎir} heift dri.hon.dyrt.en.weyf.en.zes.tyj.dai.jyn

• Now the idea I have in mind about creating something as ‘universal’ or perhaps better put more logical and therefore more consistent way to describe sound/speech. Is I believe a good one.
• But then the first problem rears its ugly head: if I were to mature my approach and thus to be able to really (re)write any language into this. Guess what happens; instant loss of identity (be it cultural or historical). In all honesty, I don’t believe that would go over well with anyone [this includes myself 😉 ]
• The 2nd problem while not so much a problem but a simple observation. What am I trying to achieve?
  The answer to my own question:
  In one incredibly short line:

  It has been said that in Navajo, words paint a picture in your mind.

• The third problem: Though I’ve tried to be as consistent as possible with my use of the available (and easy to reach on my keyboard) characters. I still don’t find them very esthetically pleasing. 😦
  I am for instance very fond of Japanese hiragana but find Korean to be more logical (but less pleasing to watch).

Back to top.

In short the way I see this is this: I want a phonetic script that’s highly pleasing to look at (“Vulcan?”) and I want it to be easy to type/draw/write too! 😉 Once solved!? Then we go to the next problem. How to improve the exchange of ideas between individuals the “it” I was referring to earlier. 😉

/*
Instead of having a hovering tool tip which would appear
when one hovers over the language at hand.
(Containing the phonetic transcript of the text written either below or above?)
We could make things less ambiguous
by using css formatting.
Like so.
*/
/*In the page at hand.*/
<span lang="en-us" style="...">
/*Or make it the default.*/
span:lang:hover{do something interesting;}
/*
Why?
While I appreciate the phonetic IPA
which is used for example on wikipedia.
I simply don't want to have (to learn) 5 to 10
different versions of e.g. the character 'a'.
Instead I simply want to describe 'meta'
the language used.
*/

More to come as I see fit, …

Back to top.

---

Kindest regards,

Alex

ღ Ƹ̵̡ Ӝ̵̨̄ Ʒ ☆ ˜ ” * ° • . ¸ł¸ . • ° * ” ☆ ★ ☆ ę ˜

♫ d(｡◕‿◕｡)b ♪♪

Use the contact-form below, for feedback purposes.

Back to top.

---

PS:

Honestly when it comes to language or in this case the amount of languages I fully grok. Then the only language that comes to mind is Dutch. Obviously of course because it is the language I grew up with! The next language I consider very important to know is English. I don’t believe I have to explain the reason(s) for that.

But what I believe you should know is that my understanding of it far surpasses my ability to use it in speech (mostly) and writing. Now other languages that have my interest (and therefore a certain amount of understanding exists on my part) are Polish (what a surprise) and Spanish. Therefore if I use a tool like google translate to aid me with this writing so to speak. I am perfectly capable of reading its output. 😉

Therefore to conclude this “masterpiece”. I believe my real challenge lies in my ability to express myself better (overall) this instead of merely understanding what is being said/written.

Honestamente, cuando se trata de lenguaje o en este caso la cantidad de idiomas Estoy totalmente de Grok. Entonces el único lenguaje que viene a la mente es el neerlandés. Obviamente, por supuesto, porque es el idioma con los que crecí! El próximo que considero muy importante saber es el Inglés. No creo que tengo que explicar la razón por la (s) para ello.

Pero lo que yo creo que usted debe saber es que mi comprensión de la misma supera con mucho mi capacidad para usarlo en el habla (sobre todo) y la escritura. Ahora otros idiomas que tienen mi interés (y por lo tanto un cierto grado de comprensión que existe por mi parte) son polacos (qué sorpresa) y el español. Por lo tanto si uso una herramienta como traductor Google que me ayuda con este escrito por así decirlo. Soy perfectamente capaz de leer su salida. 😉

Por lo tanto a la conclusión de esta “obra maestra”. Creo que mi verdadero desafío radica en mi capacidad para expresarme mejor (en general), esta vez de limitarse a la comprensión de lo que se ha dicho / escrito.

Szczerze mówiąc, jeśli chodzi o języku lub w tym przypadku ilość języków w pełni grok. Wtedy jedynym językiem, który przychodzi do głowy jest niderlandzki. Oczywiście oczywiście, ponieważ jest to język dorastałem! Kolejnym języka uważam za bardzo ważne, aby wiedzieć jest język angielski. Nie wierzę, muszę wyjaśnić przyczynę (-y) do tego.

Ale to, co uważa, że powinien wiedzieć, że moje rozumienie to znacznie przekracza moją zdolność do wykorzystywania w mowie (w większości) i pisanie. Teraz innych języków, które mają moje zainteresowanie (a więc pewnego zrozumienia istnieje z mojej strony) to polski (co za niespodzianka) i hiszpański. Dlatego w przypadku korzystania z takich narzędzi, jak Google Translate pomoc mi w tym piśmie, że tak powiem. Jestem całkowicie zdolny do czytania jej produkcji. 😉

W związku z tym do zawarcia tego “arcydzieła”. Wierzę, że moje prawdziwe wyzwanie polega na moją zdolność do wyrażania siebie lepiej (ogólnie) tę, a nie tylko zrozumienie, co zostało powiedziane / napisane.

Eerlijk gezegd wanneer het op taal uitkomt of in dit geval het aantal talen dat ik volledig beheers. Dan de enige taal die in mij opkomt is het Nederlands. Vanzelfsprekend natuurlijk want het is de taal waar ik mee opgegroeid ben! De volgende taal die ik als zeer belangrijk beschouw om te weten is het Engels. Ik geloof niet dat ik hoef uit te leggen wat hier de redenen voor zijn.

Maar wat ik wel geloof dat u moet weten is dat mijn begrip van haar ver boven mijn vermogen ligt om haar te gebruiken in spraak (voornamelijk) en schrift. Nu dan, andere talen die mijn interesse hebben (en hieruit volgende dat ik hier een zeker begrip van hen heb) zijn het Pools (verrassend) en het Spaans. Daarom als ik dus een instrument zoals google vertalingen gebruik (uitgezonderd voor dit stukje Nederlands). Ik prima in staat ben om het ‘uitgeprintende’ te lezen.

Nu om dit ‘meesterwerk’ af te sluiten. Ik geloof dat mijn echte uitdaging ligt in mijn vermogen om mijzelf uit te drukken (in het algemeen) dit in plaats van alleen maar begrijpen wat er is gezegd danwel geschreven.

Back to top.