[BRLTTY] Contraction error: Caledonia

[Keith Wessel]

Hi, Lee,

The braille code does, in fact, state that you can use a contraction
crossing a sylable division from an accented sylable to an unaccented
sylable. This rule makes no mention of primary sylables, though. Caveat
(CAV - e - at) works with the EA sign as the first sylable, not the last, is
the primary sylable.

The rule about primary sylable boundaries exists to prevent the use of
contractions that might obscure pronounciation. However, though the rule
doesn't state it, Dave might have something in saying that a contractions
can be used going into a primary sylable, but not coming out of one. I
haven't been able to think of any examples either way on that one yet.

I would agree that, if the masses are doing it and the rule states otherwise
for whatever reason (which is highly unlikely), it would look wrong to
enough people to follow the rule to make it worth following the masses, as
well. :)

I still scratch my head wondering why create can use the EA sign, though,
and how that fits into the rules. I'll further research Dave's theory. It
definitely has potential!

Keith


-----Original Message-----
From: brltty-bounces at mielke.cc [mailto:brltty-bounces at mielke.cc]On
Behalf Of Lee Maschmeyer
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 10:13 AM
To: Informal discussion between users and developers of BRLTTY.
Subject: Re: [BRLTTY] Contraction error: Caledonia


Hi Keith,

I would agree that braille should be written according to _all_ the rules,
not some of them. I'm no expert on rule numbers and such, but I do remember
a rule that said a contraction can straddle a syllable boundary when going
from an unaccented syllable to an accented one, which was the justification
for contracting Create among others. To look this kind of stuff up I'd work
much better from hard copy which I don't have here. I did look (online) in
English Braille American Edition. It has only one example of the word
Create. Read this in computer braille:

,! new bylaw1 pass$ 0#ea`3p1 w cr1te a
  big to-d4

I also believe that the proof is in the pudding. If you contend that create
must be spelled out, you're saying that everybody is marching out-of-step
except you. This is highly unlikely. What this means is that more study is
needed to uncover the rule which permits, mandates in fact, contracting
Create.

One thing which may be getting in the way is Unified English Braille.
Perhaps the rule books now give rules for this new beastie whose adoption
will cause, I'm told, many changes in contracting and spacing. I don't know
that we want to go to UEB here as of now. Since I can't find Create spelled
out except in apparent exercises it would appear that doing so here would at
best be premature.

I hate to chicken out but do have to mention that my boss doesn't know I'm
doing this stuff, so I'll reluctantly rest my case by saying that I'll march
in step with others. Tomorrow or so I'll go through the other words Dave
asked about. Create's case is duly created (caveat disputer :-) and I vow to
shed light on a clear subject never again, for the present.

Whoops, I just found another one: caveat uses the e-a sign. Proof is in the
pudding so here's some pudding (computer braille alert):

cav1t         colonel
ca-ve-at cav1t
solemn cav1t 0,watson ab attempts t h
 ~w 8emporium40 ,rhett su7e/$ 8,cav1t
   ,t cav1t aside1 ! w9n} (!
 8/&>d0 & :at is an 8op;n04 ,cav1t
 ,,dvd movie play}s4 ,! only cav1t3
 sure 6obs}ve ! safety cav1ts on
nec cav1t1 ,8in all probabil;y0'1 hav+
    cav1t t ! actual pr9t+-h|se
   ,) ? cav1t1 !n1 let's g back 6!
 new1 a3ompani$ 0! cav1t--z 9 ,lev4#ag
 6,balak1 b )! cav1t t he may sp1k only
agre$ r1dily1 )! sole cav1t t he wd
!n ! same cav1t--ab ! responsibil;y =


--
Lee Maschmeyer
<lee_maschmeyer at wayne.edu>

"Be kind to your fur-bearing friends,
For a skunk may be somebody's brother."
     --Fred Allen


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