interword spacing (was: when did European languages acquire the "sh" sound?)

Adam Funk

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Mar 30, 2012, 11:46:59 AM3/30/12

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On 2012-02-13, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> On Feb 13, 3:29 pm, Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>> On 2012-02-13, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>> > So the two of you have simply paid no attention to the 550-year
>> > history of typography.
>>
>> "But we've *always* done it this way!"
>>
>> I reckon the radicals who started putting spaces between words had to
>> put up with crap arguments like that too. Why the heck do we even
>> need punctuation anyway? Nobody used it in the old days.
>
> The onset of interword spacing in European mss. coincides with the
> onset of silent reading.
>
> A number of orthographies continue to not use it.

Amusing example of the importance of spaces:

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3872

--
It is probable that television drama of high caliber and produced by
first-rate artists will materially raise the level of dramatic taste
of the nation. (David Sarnoff, CEO of RCA, 1939; in Stoll 1995)

António Marques

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Mar 30, 2012, 2:02:03 PM3/30/12

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Adam Funk wrote (30-03-2012 12:46):
> On 2012-02-13, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>
>> On Feb 13, 3:29 pm, Adam Funk<a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>>> On 2012-02-13, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>
>>>> So the two of you have simply paid no attention to the 550-year
>>>> history of typography.
>>>
>>> "But we've *always* done it this way!"
>>>
>>> I reckon the radicals who started putting spaces between words had to
>>> put up with crap arguments like that too. Why the heck do we even
>>> need punctuation anyway? Nobody used it in the old days.
>>
>> The onset of interword spacing in European mss. coincides with the
>> onset of silent reading.
>>
>> A number of orthographies continue to not use it.
>
>
> Amusing example of the importance of spaces:
>
> http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3872

Or rather interword slashes? The space is there, it's just not very noticeable.
Or connection between letters of the same word?

Adam Funk

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Mar 30, 2012, 4:44:21 PM3/30/12

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I think the problem is that the letters "Pen" are jammed together and
the "n i" and "i s" spaces are almost the same (they seem to be the
same at the bottom but the "i s" space is narrower at the top, because
of the way the "s" wiggles). Then the "s b" space is bigger. So it's
easy to read it the wrong/funny way at first.

I admit that I'm in no position to complain about anyone else's
handwriting, however.

--
There's a statute of limitations with the law, but not with
your wife. [Ray Magliozzi, Car Talk 2011-36]

R H Draney

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Mar 30, 2012, 5:31:26 PM3/30/12

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Adam Funk filted:

>
>On 2012-03-30, António Marques wrote:
>
>> Adam Funk wrote (30-03-2012 12:46):
>
>>> Amusing example of the importance of spaces:
>>>
>>> http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3872
>>
>>Or rather interword slashes? The space is there, it's just not very noticeable.
>> Or connection between letters of the same word?
>
>I think the problem is that the letters "Pen" are jammed together and
>the "n i" and "i s" spaces are almost the same (they seem to be the
>same at the bottom but the "i s" space is narrower at the top, because
>of the way the "s" wiggles). Then the "s b" space is bigger. So it's
>easy to read it the wrong/funny way at first.
>
>
>I admit that I'm in no position to complain about anyone else's
>handwriting, however.

I assume everyone here has already seen this:

http://www.wowheylook.com/my-goat-is-in-a-pen/

....r

--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.

Peter T. Daniels

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Mar 30, 2012, 7:44:44 PM3/30/12

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The kid's [ha ha] answer makes a lot more sense to a child not raised
on a farm!

Adam Funk

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Mar 30, 2012, 8:02:23 PM3/30/12

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I hadn't; thanks.

--
"Gonzo, is that the contract from the devil?"
"No, Kermit, it's worse than that. This is the bill from special
effects."

Mike L

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Mar 30, 2012, 9:44:45 PM3/30/12

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On Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:46:59 +0100, Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com>
wrote:
[...]

>
>Amusing example of the importance of spaces:
>
>http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3872

Was it really Bulwer Lytton who coined "the almighty dollar"? Brewer
and OED say Washington Irving.

--
Mike.

Jerry Friedman

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Mar 30, 2012, 10:47:49 PM3/30/12

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Thanks, I just pointed that out at LL. What BW seems to have coined
is "the pursuit of the almighty dollar", but I don't think he deserves
a lot of credit for adding "pursuit".

--
Jerry Friedman

Jerry Friedman

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Mar 31, 2012, 4:48:54 AM3/31/12

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Or BL. (I think that's the second time within a year I've abbreviated
something with the first letter of the second syllable instead of that
of the first word. Probably indicates some obscure form of brain
damage.)

--
Jerry Friedman

R H Draney

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Apr 2, 2012, 8:49:40 PM4/2/12

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Peter T. Daniels filted:

>
>On Mar 30, 1:31=A0pm, R H Draney <dadoc...@spamcop.net> wrote:
>>
>> I assume everyone here has already seen this:
>>

>> =A0http://www.wowheylook.com/my-goat-is-in-a-pen/

>
>The kid's [ha ha] answer makes a lot more sense to a child not raised
>on a farm!

The answer the kid probably intended to make (with spacing adjusted) makes more
sense to a child whose exposure to goats is through old Popeye cartoons where
they eat everything, showing a particular fondness for tin cans....r