[DCRM-L] RE: Reconsidering digraphs

[Robert Maxwell]

But not all diphthongs have traditionally been expressed as digraphs--at
least "ae" and "oe" certainly don't give the full range of diphthongs
available--Latin, for instance, also has au, ei, eu, and ui, none of
which are commonly printed as digraphs. So at least in the case of Latin
I would think "ae" and "oe" ligatures are simply customary, and
therefore form, not content.
 
In French, "oe" is not a diphthong, but represents a particular vowel
sound. (I can't think of any cases where "ae" in French is pronounced as
a single syllabe--it's usually pronounced as two syllables, as in
"aerodrome".) In an diphthong, both vowels are in fact pronounced, but
in a single syllable. But there are plenty of vowel combinations in
French that represent particular vowel sounds--"ou", "eu", "ai", "eau",
and perhaps others. So in these cases, too, "oe" is by custom given with
a ligature; none of the others are customarily connected. To me, that
says form, not content. 
 
Bob

Robert L. Maxwell
Special Collections and Ancient Languages Catalog Librarian
Genre/Form Authorities Librarian
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568 

 


________________________________

	From: dcrm-l-admin at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-admin at lib.byu.edu]
On Behalf Of Wickenden Jane
	Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:09 AM
	To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
	Subject: [DCRM-L] RE: Reconsidering digraphs
	
	

	My feeling is that digraphs make a new letter in the same way
that a diphthong makes a new sound.  So I come down with you on the
content side, Deborah.

	 

	Regards

	 

	Jane

	 

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	Mrs J.V.S. Wickenden, MA (Oxon) Dip.Lib.
	Historic Collections Library
	Institute of Naval Medicine
	Alverstoke
	Gosport
	Hants.  PO12 2DL
	
	tel: 023 9276 8238
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	-----Original Message-----
	From: dcrm-l-admin at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-admin at lib.byu.edu]
On Behalf Of Deborah J. Leslie
	Sent: 22 February 2005 14:33
	To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
	Subject: [DCRM-L] Reconsidering digraphs

	 

	Dear cataloging colleagues,

	 

	<<snip>>

	 

	At its most basic level, the DCRM transcription principle is to
transcribe the content, but not the form, of printed text. Thus, we
retain archaic and incorrect spellings, but normalize capitalization and
line endings -- the former being content, the latter form. The digraph
question comes down to this: do digraphs represent content (does their
joining together actually create a new letter) or do they represent form
(just a conventional way of writing these combinations of letters)? We
as a group are leaning more toward the consideration of digraphs as
content. What do you think? 

	 

	_________________________________
	Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.
	Head of Cataloging
	Folger Shakespeare Library
	djleslie at folger.edu
	http://www.folger.edu

	 

	 

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