Re: why Aramaic now lumpers and splitters

From: jameskass@att.net
Date: Thu Dec 25 2003 - 02:29:12 EST

  • Next message: Jungshik Shin: "Re: Aramaic unification and information retrieval"

    .
    Quoting from FER-DE-LANCE by Rex Stout © 1934:

    "... Not as big as the Barstows', the house was brand-new, wood
    with panels and a high steep slate roof, one of the styles that
    I lumped all together and called Queen William."

    Although that unification might seem horrific to an architect,
    it suits Archie (the protagonist/narrator of the Nero Wolfe
    stories) just fine.

    When technical people make distinctions, others are free to
    lump things together to suit themselves. Whatever works.

    If things are lumped together by technicians, however, anyone
    needing to make distinctions fights an uphill battle.

    If the scripts under consideration are unified, anyone needing
    or wishing to preserve distinctions for these various related
    writing systems loses. Especially in plain text.

    But, if these scripts aren't unified, scholars could continue to
    transliterate inscriptions as they see fit. And, people who like
    to make distinctions are enabled to do so. Nobody loses.

    So, if the scripts retain their disunification according to the
    current Road Map projections, people could either like it
    or lump it.

    Seasons greetings,

    James Kass
    .



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