Re: Monotonic (was Back to Hebrew, was OT:darn'd fools)

From: Peter Kirk (peter.r.kirk@ntlworld.com)
Date: Tue Jul 29 2003 - 14:55:24 EDT

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    On 29/07/2003 11:17, John Hudson wrote:

    > At 06:35 AM 7/29/2003, Peter Kirk wrote:
    >
    >> This reminds me of the polytonic Greek issue. If I understand
    >> correctly, the Greek government decided to do away with the
    >> distinction between accents because this was easier to implement with
    >> 1960's computers.
    >
    >
    > 1982. The reasons were manifold, and technological limitations
    > probably played a role, but benefits to literacy were more frequently
    > cited important. One Greek wit characterised it this way: in 1982 the
    > Greeks decided to become monotonous.
    >
    > I understand that there has been something of a resurgence of
    > polytonic in recent years and, for quality literary publishers, it
    > never went away.
    >
    > John Hudson

    The same is probably true of distinct holam vav: cheap materials didn't
    make the distinction but quality literary publishers always have and
    want to be able to continue. Of course they can only do so if it's in
    their text.

    -- 
    Peter Kirk
    peter.r.kirk@ntlworld.com
    http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
    


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