* Michael Everson
|
| One source (Orie Endo) says that the script has 1000-1500 characters.
| Then he says it has about 500.
Uh, no, not really. She says:
"According to the work of Chinese researchers thus far, the script
is thought to be comprised of 1000-1500 characters. [...] When
researchers count as different Nushu characters what actually are
variants, the total number can easily be inflated to 1000 or more."
In other words, it is Chinese researchers who think Nushu has
1000-1500 characters, and she seems to disagree with them.
"Based on this I have done preliminary research on the body of
writings from one transmitter alone, that being Ms. He Yan-xin, and
the results show that she uses approximately 550 characters."
So the count of 550 comes from preliminary research into the writings
of a single person. Elsewhere she says that given the structure of the
script and the complexity of the dialect about 600 characters would
suffice for "the totality of Chen Guan Tuhua" to be written.
* Kenneth Whistler
|
| Also, Nushu is profoundly moribund at this point. The few remaining
| practitioners were persecuted during the Cultural Revolution,
| apparently. And serious study wasn't picked up until the 1980's:
* Michael Everson
|
| Well. So is Deseret. Carian. Nabataean....
Exactly. If there is room for Deseret it would seem to me very
difficult to argue that there is no room for Nushu.
--Lars M.
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