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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
commit | e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch) | |
tree | 60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /language/vispeech/info2.tex |
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diff --git a/language/vispeech/info2.tex b/language/vispeech/info2.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1cc87da261 --- /dev/null +++ b/language/vispeech/info2.tex @@ -0,0 +1,195 @@ +\input vismacs.tex +\font\vis=vispeech +\font\bigbf=cmbx12 +\centerline{\bigbf Visible Speech Font} +\line{\hfill from: Mark Shoulson (shoulson@ctr.columbia.edu) +\bigskip +The Visible Speech is a phonetic alphabet invented by Alexander Melville +Bell (you may have heard of his son, Alexander Graham Bell, who invented a +fairly widely-used contraption). Bell was a teacher of the Deaf (as was +the younger Bell, incidentally), and this alphabet was intended as an aid +to teaching the Deaf how to pronounce words, by reducing sounds to a +presumably unambiguous representation. This file would be ridiculously +long if I reprinted all Bell's description of the alphabet, but I'll +summarize it here. My information is all from Bell's book {\vis +\pm\vmbw\glipback\pnv\psv\pmv\ \vlfw\pnv\psv\ \pbv\vmfw\gpoint\ +\ppv\vhfp\pdv\vmfp\gtop\tm\vmbp\pnv\pmv} ({\sl Sounds and their +Relations\/}), published in~1881. + +The consonants in Visible Speech are all non-ascending, non-descending +letters, which consist mainly of a loop indicating the point of +articulation. Bell classified consonants into four points of articulation: +the back of the tongue ({\vis\bp}), the top of the tongue ({\vis\tp}), the +point of the tongue ({\vis\pp}), and the lip ({\vis\lp}). In the basic +state, as they are, the loops just mean that that's where the air is +flowing. Bell describes a slightly more open and longer version of +{\vis\lp} as ``cooling'' ({\it i.e.}~blowing to cool). If the curve is +shut ({\vis\ls}), that means the airflow is also stopped (in this case, an +unexpelled~{\it p\/}). Closing the loop with a squiggle indicates that the +air passes out the nose, giving you a nasal ({\vis\ln}~is therefore a +voiceless~{\it m\/}). Adding a horizontal or vertical bar to the letter +indicates voice ({\vis\lpv}~is an unfinished~{\it b}, {\vis\lnv} is an~{\it +m\/}, and {\vis\pnv}~an~{\it n}). ``Divided'' curves, like~{\vis\ld}, +indicate ``lateral or interstitial apertures for the emission of the +breath.'' So {\vis\ld} represents the sound of an English~{\it f}, and +{\vis\ldv}~a~{\it v}. The points of the curve may also point back, +indicating modification by the mouth-part on the other side of the curve. +So {\vis\lmv}~is like {\vis\lpv} except that the tongue is pulled back +somewhat, and is thus more like the English~{\it w\/} (according to Bell, +at any rate). These are a little harder to explain; I will try to make a +table showing very briefly Bell's examples for each sound and some +variants, and you can work it out for yourself. Sounds may be both +modified and divided, as~{\vis\pb}: the~{\it th\/} in ``thin.'' + +Vowels are all vertically-oriented glyphs, with high vowels rising above +the consonants, low vowels descending, and middle vowels doing both. The +curls on the ends are on the right side for front vowels, the left for back +vowels, and both sides for mixed vowels. A bar across the middle of a +vowel indicates lip-rounding. If the curls are open, the vowel is +``wide.'' So {\vis\vhfp\mholder}~is the {\it ee\/}~in ``feel'' (the +modifier~{\vis\mholder} indicates greater length), while {\vis\vhfw}~is the +{\it i\/}~sound in~``ill'' (all examples are paraphrases of Bell's; your +ideolect may vary). + +There is also a selection of glides, sometimes hinting at their point of +articulation, as well as many modifiers to change the sounds slightly ({\it +e.g.}~for ``blowing an object from the point of the tongue,'' you could use +{\vis\ps\mprotruded\lp}, where~{\vis\mprotruded} indicates that the tongue +is protruded all the way to the lips. Similarly, {\vis\minverted}~means +the tongue goes toward the back of the mouth. I'll list Bell's one-word +descriptions in the table, and try to clarify where possible. One more +that doesn't appear on the table: the plus sign joins sounds that are +articulated simultaneously. +\medskip +{\bf Things to do:} (Not that I'll do them, but it makes me look +responsible.) (1) fix the left-right (up-down) symmetry on many of the +glyphs. There are attempts to in some of them, but they're kludges and +don't always work. (2) fix that deep white cut in the dints of the divided +letters. (3) Supply more examples. (5) re-arrange the glyphs so they're +in reasonable spots in the font table. (6) invent a scheme of inputting +them that doesn't require neural surgery to understand. (7) and so on\dots +\vfil\eject +\centerline{\bf Visible Speech Consonants} +\medskip +(All examples are Bell's or paraphrases thereof) +\medskip +{\parindent=0pt\parfillskip=0pt +\halign{&\vis #\hskip 1em&\dotfill\sevenrm #\hskip .25in\cr +\omit&\omit\hbox to 2in{\hfil\vbox to 0pt{\vss}}& + \omit&\omit\hbox to 2in{\hfil\vbox to 0pt{\vss}}\cr +\noalign {\vskip -\baselineskip} +\lp&blowing to cool &\bn&non-vocal ng\cr +\lpv&w (German) &\bnv&ng\cr +\lm&wh &\tp&h in ``hue'', ch in German ``ich''\cr +\lmv&w &\tpv&y in ``yet''\cr +\ld&f &\tm&sh\cr +\ldv&v &\tmv&(zh) in ``azure''\cr +\lb&gutteralized f (draw back tongue) &\td&``defective form of s''\cr +\lbv&gutteralized v (draw back tongue) &\tdv&gl in Italian ``gli''\cr +\ls&p (shut) &\tb&Welsh ll\cr +\ls\memission&final p, lips separating afterwards &\tbv&Zulu dhl\cr +\lsv&b &\ts&Sanskrit ``cerebral'' (retroflex) t\cr +\ln&non-vocal m &\tsv&Sanskrit ``cerebral'' d, ``thick'' d\cr +\lnv&m &\tn&``thick'' n (non-vocal)\cr +\bp&ch (German ``nach'', Scottish ``loch'') &\tnv&thick n\cr +\bp\minner&low formation, further back + &\pp&non-vocal r, in French ``theatre''\cr +\bp\mouter&high formation, further up &\ppv&r in ``ray''\cr +\bpv&French r in ``grassey\'e'' &\ppv\mtrill&trilled r\cr +\bpv\mtrill&rough burr (back-trilled) r &\pm&s\cr +\bm&gh in Scottish ``sough'' (above, lip-rounded)& \pmv&z\cr +\bmv&labialized burr &\pd&non-vocal l in French ``table''\cr +\bd&hiss of water-fowl &\pdv&l\cr +\bdv&l in Gaelic ``laogh'' &\pb&th in ``thin''\cr +\pdv\mplus\bp&nearly equal to {\vis\bdv} &\pbv&th in ``then''\cr +\bb&``do not occur as linguistic sounds'' &\ps&t\cr +\bbv&``do not occur as linguistic sounds'' &\psv&d\cr +\bs&k &\pn&non-vocal n\cr +\bsv&g &\pnv&n\cr +\fp&h &\fP&rough aspiration, whisper\cr +\fPv&vocalized whisper, hoarseness &\fs&``Catch'' in the throat, cough\cr +}} +\medskip +\centerline{\bf Vowels} +\medskip +{\parindent=0pt\parfillskip=0pt +\halign{&\vis #\hskip 1em&\dotfill\sevenrm #\hskip .25in\cr +\omit&\omit\hbox to 2in{\hfil\vbox to 0pt{\vss}}& + \omit&\omit\hbox to 2in{\hfil\vbox to 0pt{\vss}}\cr +\noalign {\vskip -\baselineskip} +\vhfp&(short) i in French ``fille'' + &\vhbpr&(short) oo in Scotch ``food''\cr +\vhfw&(short) i in ``ill'' &\vhbwr&(short) oo in ``foot''\cr +\vmfp&(short) e in French ``est'' &\vmbpr&(short) o in Scotch ``note''\cr +\vmfp\gtop&name of letter A &\vmbwr&(short) o in ``opinion''\cr +\vmfw&(short) i in Scotch [sic] ``ill'' &\vlbpr\mholder&(long) a in ``all''\cr +\vlfp&(short) e in ``let'' &\vlbpr&(short) a in ``what''\cr +\vlfw&(short) a in ``hat'' &\vlbwr&(short) o in ``on''\cr +\vhbp&sound you get if you unround the oo in ``room''. + &\vhfpr&(short) \"u in German ``\"uber''\cr +\vhbp\mholder&ao in Gaelic ``laogh'' &\vhfwr&(short) u in French ``une''\cr +\vhbw&(short) ou in -ous (courageous) + &\vmfpr&(short) \^u in French ``b\^ut''\cr +\vmbp&(short) u in ``up'' &\vmfwr&no examples given\cr +\vmbw&sound from unrounding o in ``ore'', a in ``pathetic'' + &\vlfpr&(short) eu in French ``jeune''\cr +\vlbp&(short) u in Scotch [sic] ``up'' &\vlfwr&Cockney ou in ``about''\cr +\vlbw&(short) a in Scotch ``man'', a in ``alms'' + &\vhmpr&(short) oo in North Irish ``look''\cr +\vhmp\mholder&(long) i in ``sir'' (American) + &\vhmwr&(short) u in colloquial ``awful''\cr +\vhmw&e in ``the'' &\vmmpr&(short) o in French ``homme''\cr +\vmmp&French ``e mute'' &\vmmwr&(short) o in American ``whole''\cr +\vmmw&(short) ``a'' (article) &\vlmpr&(short) i in Irish ``sir''\cr +\vlmp&(short) e in Cockney ``penny'' &\vlmwr&(short) o in ``obtain''\cr +\vlmw&(short) e in ``perform''\cr +}} +\goodbreak +\centerline{\bf Glides} +\medskip +{\parindent=0pt\parfillskip=0pt +\halign{\hskip 1in#\dotfill&\hskip 1em\vis#&\ as in #\hfil\cr +Breath&\gbreath&{\vis\ls\gbreath\vhfw\bsv}, ``pig'' (Irish)\cr +Voice&\gvoice&{\vis\lmv\vhfp\gvoice\ppv\vhfw}, ``weary''\cr +Round&\ground&{\vis\pnv\vlfw\ground}, ``now'' (Cockney)\cr +Throat&\gthroat&{\vis\vmbw\gthroat}, ``are'' (variety of smooth Burr)\cr +Back&\gback&{\vis\vmbw\gback}, ``are'' (variety of smooth Burr)\cr +Back Round&\gbackround + &{\vis\vmbw\gbackround}, ``are'' (variety of smooth Burr)\cr +Top&\gtop&{\vis\psv\vmbw\gtop}, ``die''\cr +Top Round&\gtopround&{\vis\pnv\gtopround\vhmpr}, ``new'' (North Irish)\cr +Point&\gpoint&{\vis\vlbw\gpoint}, ``are''\cr +Point Round&\gpointround + &{\vis\vmbw\glipback\gpointround}, ``our'' (Common)\cr +Lip&\glip&{\vis\pdv\glip\vhfp}, ``lui'' (French)\cr +Lip \& Back&\glipback&{\vis\pnv\vmbw\glipback}, ``now''\cr +}} +\bigskip +\centerline{\bf Modifiers} +\medskip +{\parindent=0pt +\halign{#\dotfill&\hskip 1em\vis#&\ #\hfil\cr +Inner&\minner&(Produced farther back)\cr +Outer&\mouter&(Produced farther forward)\cr +Close&\mclose&(More closed)\cr +Open&\mopen&(More open)\cr +Trill&\mtrill\cr +Nasal&\mnasal\cr +Side Open&\moneside&(Air escapes one side)\cr +Side Open&\mbothsides&(Air escapes both sides)\cr +Inverted&\minverted&(Tongue curled back)\cr +Protruded&\mprotruded&(Tongue protruded toward lips)\cr +Stop&\mstop\cr +Suction&\msuction&(Produced with air moving inwards)\cr +Emission&\memission\cr +Suction Stopped&\msuctionstopped\cr +Emission Stopped&\memissionstopped\cr +Hiatus&\mhiatus\cr +Abrupt&\mabrupt\cr +Holder&\mholder\cr +Accent&\maccent&(On non-initial syllable, placed to the left)\cr +Emphasis&\memphasis&(On whole word)\cr +Whistle&\mwhistle\cr +Voiced Whistle&\mvwhistle\cr +}} +\vfill\eject |