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(→Apostrophe ('): apostrophe saves the day) |
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==== Apostrophe (') ==== | ==== Apostrophe (') ==== | ||
When two syllables are put together, | When two syllables are put together, an [[apostrophe]] may be used to indicate a syllable boundary if there's any ambiguity. The rule in MTL is that letters | ||
indicate a syllable boundary | are grouped into a syllable starting from the right. Here's one case where a consonant could be part of the first or second syllable. | ||
Example: | Example: ''{{x|okix}}'' vs. ''{{x|ok'ix}}'' | ||
''[[Okix]]'', meaning "black mole", comes from ''{{x|of}}'' (烏; "black") plus ''{{x|kix}}'' (痣; "mole"). We simply take the [[sandhi]]-modified first syllable (''of'' -> ''o'') and follow it by the second syllable, to get ''okix''. Reading this word, we know the longest syllable starting from the right is ''kix''. | |||
If we combine '' | But, there are two other syllables we could combine to get the same result. If we combine ''{{x|og}}'' (惡; "evil") and ''{{x|ix}}'' (意; "intention") ''without'' an apostrophe, we would also get ''okix''. Clearly, we would not want this. It looks like the ''k'' belongs with the second vowel ''i'' instead of ''o''. | ||
That's where the apostrophe saves the day. Writing ''[[ok'ix]]'' is how we keep "evil intention" distinct from the harmless ''okix''. | |||
==== Hyphen (-) ==== | ==== Hyphen (-) ==== |
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