summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/language/vispeech/info2.tex
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
committerNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
commite0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch)
tree60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /language/vispeech/info2.tex
Initial commit
Diffstat (limited to 'language/vispeech/info2.tex')
-rw-r--r--language/vispeech/info2.tex195
1 files changed, 195 insertions, 0 deletions
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