{"id":43017,"date":"2017-06-23T13:54:20","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T19:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=43017"},"modified":"2017-06-23T13:54:20","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T19:54:20","slug":"deseret-alphabet-38-letter-writing-system-developed-mormons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2017\/06\/deseret-alphabet-38-letter-writing-system-developed-mormons.html","title":{"rendered":"“The Deseret Alphabet, a 38-Letter Writing System Developed by Mormons”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Otranto<\/a>
We transited the Strait of Otranto a few hours ago. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I have to admit that I\u2019m very sympathetic to complaints about English spelling and, therefore, to calls for spelling reform.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always amazed at the difficulties it can pose to non-native speakers.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I mean, really: \u00a0enough<\/em>, bough<\/em> (take a bow<\/em>, hunt with a bow<\/em>), through<\/em>, cough<\/em>, thought\u00a0<\/em>(caught<\/em>? rot<\/em>?)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve previously mentioned Bernard Shaw\u2019s thought experiment about a foreign speaker of English who suddenly can\u2019t recall how to spell the word fish<\/em>. \u00a0So he takes the f-<\/em>sound from cough<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

gh<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then he takes the i<\/em>-sound from women<\/em>. \u00a0(By the way, why does the sound of wo-<\/em> differ between woman<\/em> and women<\/em>?)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anyway . . .<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

gho<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now he needs the sh-sound. \u00a0So he borrows it from nation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

ghoti<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cfish\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

To which some ambitious type sought to add the sound of -er<\/em>, for fisher<\/em>. \u00a0So he took it from colonel<\/em>. \u00a0Thus:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

ghotiolo<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cfisher\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two of our guides, a few days back, kept talking about the \u201cmountayns\u201d that divide Spain from France and that stand to the north of Florence.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And why not? \u00a0After all, retain<\/em>, obtain<\/em>,\u00a0sustain<\/em>, abstain<\/em>,\u00a0contain<\/em>, detain<\/em>,\u00a0plantain<\/em>, restrain<\/em>, maintain<\/em>, and . . . mount\u2019n<\/em>?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anyhow, faced with immigrants from various countries who needed to learn the common language of English, the early settlers of Utah attempted a reasonable orthographic reform:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.atlasobscura.com\/articles\/deseret-alphabet-mormon<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posted from the Adriatic Sea<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 I have to admit that I\u2019m very sympathetic to complaints about English spelling and, therefore, to calls for spelling reform. \u00a0 I\u2019m always amazed at the difficulties it can pose to non-native speakers. \u00a0 I mean, really: \u00a0enough, bough (take a bow, hunt with a bow), through, cough, thought\u00a0(caught? rot?) \u00a0 I\u2019ve previously […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n"The Deseret Alphabet, a 38-Letter Writing System Developed by Mormons"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    I have to admit that I'm very sympathetic to complaints about English spelling and, therefore, to calls for spelling reform.   I'm\" \/>\n<meta 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