Re: [lojban] Language creation

[Llu'is Batlle i Rossell <viric@vicerveza.homeunix.net>]

On Mon, Nov 03, 2003 at 04:08:28PM -0000, Mr Ekted wrote:
> As I get more into learning lojban, I see some of the reasons behind the choices made. But so far, I am confused about the choices made in the design of the following aspects:
> 
> Remove puncuation. A good idea since we do not pronounce it when we read it. But then the choice was made to litter the language with . and ' which is really starting to get annoying. I understand that they are technically part of the alphabet, but to me they read as noise. They make smooth reading more difficult. We remove "." from the end of sentences, but then we add back ".i". Many of the most common/useful modifiers contain "non-diphthonged" vowels requiring the use of "'". If "'" sounds like "h", then use "h". :)

As far as I know, "'" isn't a consonant like others in lojban alphabet. It's
more like something helpful for joining vowels. Something like "y" for joining
consonants. It has a sound associated, but that sound isn't as strong as a "x"
or a "c" (or any other letter :).

And about ".", it's a way of forcing pauses (or force not to join syllabes). It
also helps maintaining some rythm when speaking.

> 
> Vowels. Choices were made to keep things from sounding the same, but then why have a short "e" and the schwa "y"? Why have "ur" when it's almost impossible to distinguish from "or"? Every time I have to pronounce words like "se'u" in my head it's like hitting a brick wall.

Maybe you find "ur" undistinguishable from "or" because you think or speak with
a lot of English influence. I, as a catalan speaker, i cannot find any confusion
between "or" or "ur".
And I cannot find any problem when saying "se'u" or understanding it.
(Uh. I hope I'm pronouncing it fine!)

I think that "y" is nearer to "a" than "e". Mmmm maybe in the middle. But, for
example, I use two 'e' in my native language. One found in English "ten", and
another one which I cannot find in any English any example. It's the Spanish
"e". I think its symbol in IFA is also 'e'.
When speaking in lojban, I often use the 'e' in "ten". But not always.

I'm lucky, because Catalan has almost all lojban phonemes, and each letter has
a fixed sound (something like Spanish). I think it's easy for me to read or say
anything in lojban.

-- 
 "... el quid de la qüestió està en l'educació: en la filosofia didàctica,
  l'opció ignorància hauria d'existir: tu què vols ser? Jo, enginyer; jo, metge;
  jo, ignorant: és a dir, vull aprendre a viure però no vull saber-ho tot."
     -- Pau Riba, entrevista a "Paper de Vidre", núm. 5