The fourth issue of Xin Tang is now online.
For those of you wondering why Xin Tang is spelled Xin Talng on the cover, that’s because parts of this particular issue use a tonal-spelling variation of Hanyu Pinyin, as follows.
Simple rules for tonal spelling
- ma (媽) / ling (拎)
- mal (麻) / lilng (零)
- maa (馬) / liing (領)
- mah (罵) / lihng (另)
- “‘” biaaoshih qingsheng, kee’shi “‘de” dou –> “d”.
Here, for example, is a message from the publisher.
Colng zheih yihqi qii SHIN TARNG gaai weil XIN TALNG, shiiyohng d welnzih yii Pin Yin (jiaan xiee PY) weil jichuu. Duobahn d welnzhang yohng yooudiaoh PY xiee. Biaodiaoh faa qiing kahn fengmiahn erh xiah’tou d jiaandan shuomilng.
The same passage in Pinyin with tone marks:
Cóng zhèi yì qī qǐ SHIN TARNG gǎi wéi XIN TANG, shǐyòng d wénzì yǐ Pīn Yīn (jiǎn xiě PY) wéi jīchǔ. Duōbàn d wénzhāng yòng yǒudiào PY xiě. Biāodiào fǎ qǐng kàn fēngmiàn èr xià’tou d jiǎndān shuōmíng.
Not all of the romanization in this issue follows that form. Some has no special spellings but instead uses tone marks. Some has no tone marks. Give ‘em all a try and see what you think.
Xin Tang 4 (PDF)
Why does the tonal spelling variation so closely resemble GR?
Given the prestige — for lack of a better word — of GR, not to follow the GR pattern would be more surprising than not.
Still, the GR approach is certainly not the only possible one. See, for example, “In Defense of Tonal Spelling” (Xin Tang 4, pp. 20-33). See also J. Marshall Unger’s remarks in a letter to the editor (Xin Tang 5, pp. 68-70 — an early look for those who read the comments, as I haven’t announced this yet otherwise). I tend to agree with him about “l” being used for second tone being problematic because of the resemblance to “i” — though that likely has more to do with the typographical choices in these particular issues than in general.
The issue is discussed further in other issues. But I haven’t had a chance to scan those yet.
Pinyin is the most widely-used Chinese writing system in Latin alphabet
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Hàny? P?ny?n shì yòng Latin zìm? zuì gu?ngfàn sh?yòng de Zh?ngwén sh?xi? xìt?ng
Hahnyuu Pinyin shih yohng Latin zihmuu zuih guaangfahn shiiyohng d Zhongwern shuxiee xihtoong
Pinyin is the standard of China as well as the UN. It is the most popular Romanized Chinese system in the world nowadays.
?? ?? ? ?? ? ?? ?? ??? ? ??? ? ?? ??? ? ?? ? Roma? ?? ?? ???
Hàny? P?ny?n shì Zh?ngguó d bi?ozh?n y?shì Liánhéguó d bi?ozh?n, shì j?nti?n shìjièshàng zuì liúxíng d Romahuà Zh?ngwén sh?xi? xìt?ng.
Hahnyuu Pinyin shih Zhongguor d biaozhuun yeeshih Liarnherguor d biaozhuun, shih jintian shihjiehshahng zuih liurxirng d Romahuah Zhongwern shuxiee xihtoong.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Pinyin/Pinyin-English_News_Summary#Pinyin_is_the_most_widely-used_Chinese_writing_system_in_Latin_alphabet