----- Original Message -----
From: "James Kass" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Unicode List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2001 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: Unicode transliterations (and other operations)
>
> Doug Ewell wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Maybe not. This is the part I got wrong several weeks ago when we had
this
> > discussion, and I hope my understanding is better now.
> >
> > Transliteration is about building a reversible mapping between the
original
> > (in this case, Japanese) sounds and a set of (in this case, Latin)
> > characters, with the focus on reversibility rather than legibility. You
> > might even use numbers or other symbols to ensure that the
transliterated
> > version can be mapped unambiguously back to Japanese. The reader might
have
> > to go through a learning curve to equate your symbols with the desired
sounds.
> >
> > Transcription is about optimizing the Latin-script version for, say, a
> > Polish-language reader. A transcription has not only a target script
but
> > also a target language, and it might be different for each of Polish,
German,
> > French, English, etc. The goal is enabling the Polish reader to
pronounce
> > the Japanese text with a minimal learning curve.
> >
> <snip>
> >
> > Unfortunately, the terms "transcription" and "transliteration" are
commonly
> > mixed up by non-experts, causing much confusion.
> >
> > Please, somebody let me know if this is still not right.
>
> Transliteration just means to write something using the characters
> of another alphabet. Legibility is the focus, so numbers or
> symbols shouldn't enter the picture.
>From the New Shorter OED:
Transliterate:
Replace (letters or characters of one language) by those of another used to
represent the same sounds; write (a word etc.) in the closest corresponding
characters of another alphabet or language.
> A transcription is simply a copy (usually in the same
> language/script as the source, otherwise it wouldn't be a copy).
> An exception would be a typed transcript of something
> originally written in shorthand.
>From the New Shorter OED:
Transcribe (among other meanings)
v.t. Transliterate; write out (shorthand, notes, etc.) in ordinary
characters or continuous prose. Formerly also, translate.
I'm relieved to find that OED and Webster agree, though note that the OED
recognises that transcribe is sometimes used as a synonym of transliterate.
This is not to say that I don't recognise the useful distinction between a
reversible transformation and an non-reversible one.
Experts redefine words at the risk of confusing non-experts; when they do,
they should not be surprised at the ensuing confusion -- they brought it on
themselves.
Regards,
(non-expert) Mike.
"Impenetrability! That's what I say!"
