30-09-2026, 05:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2026, 03:14 AM by Amphigorist.)
I have a hard time understanding why someone transcribing spoken Chinese would use a wholly novel alphabet. Even if there were sounds that didn't occur in their native language, and they could distinguish them as different, instead of mishearing them as more familiar phonemes, it seems like the simplest thing to do would be to create new characters for those sounds, like Sts. Cyril and Methodius did.
Even then, assuming they understood spoken Chinese and were having the book read to them, it seems like writing a translation or even transliteration in a familiar language would be far more useful. The only reason I can see for using a brand new script is that we are starting with a particular manuscript.
Even then, assuming they understood spoken Chinese and were having the book read to them, it seems like writing a translation or even transliteration in a familiar language would be far more useful. The only reason I can see for using a brand new script is that we are starting with a particular manuscript.