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From:
Bill Reese Date: Fri Dec 17, 1999 5:39 pm Subject: Re: writing compounds | ||||||||
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Val et al, Interesting that we would talk about spaces. When I was learning some Japanese, I noticed that Japanese characters are all run together and it takes an understanding of the use of the different alphabets in that language to distinguish the different "words". Also, recently, a friend of mine had a keyboard on which the space key was stuck. When we chatted online there were no spaces between any of the words but it only took a little bit more concentration to make out the individual words. Content, familiarity with the language, and the use of a carriage return to separate sentences provided ample clues. Bill Reese Valerie Sutton wrote: > >Semantics -- gripes! My lay understanding is that when two words join to > >form a single word, that word os a compound by definition (at least by my > >definition.) Thus, FIREMAN is indeed a single word and it is a compound. > >Right? So, is APPLE TREE in english a compound or two words? I think they > >are two words, but APPLESAUCE is a compound. (I cheated -- used a > >dictionary.) I don't know whether APPLE TREE is one or two words (or more) > >in ASL. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Hi James & Everyone.... > Yes...I am a lay person too when it comes to definitions of linguistic > terms etc. The real difference between the word FIREMAN and hyphenated > words (I guess), leans towards what Fernando was saying...that languages > change overtime to something that is more centrally placed or more > condensed. And perhaps way back in history, the word FIREMAN was written > FIRE-MAN...I don't know. Really it is the hyphen that bothers me...as far > as I can see a hyphen is not mandatory between the parts of a > compound....maybe new compounds, but not old ones? What do you think? > > Some languages string several words together in a long line - it is amazing > that people know where one word stops and the other starts! > > And something similar is happening in writing compound signs in > SignWriting. Years ago, back in the early 1980's, when we were real new to > writing signs, we went through a stage where we used a line as a hypen > between two signs that were considered compounds. So I know exactly where > you are coming from, since I've been there! > > But time marches on, and new writing conventions evolve...Now the writing > of compound signs is becoming like FIREMAN...one sign instead of two, with > no hyphen. > > That doesn't mean I am saying you should drop your hypens, James! Nor do I > want anyone else to change your writing styles...I am just sharing some of > the newer developments. This has come about partly because of writing "down > the page"...so now I will attach several signs in a row to show you some > examples of this evolution... > > Val ;-) | ||||||||
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