This question is for Forkner shorthand (or any other alphabetic shorthand) writers.
Does it matter if one does not follow exact recommendations for streamline alphabet letters?
In my case Forkner f is so different from what I have been writing f. In particular its bottom loop is causing me troubles (not insurmountable but annoying).
Another question is that apostrophe comma (don’t know the proper name for this sign ‘
that is used to denote the sound of a is also used in the word small. This may need some more explanation.
Forkner uses ‘ for all a-sounds like Gregg uses big circle, and underwritten comma for o-sounds (like Gregg uses hook). So why in the word “small” uses ‘ instead of underwritten comma.
This page shows what I mean (it is at the bottom – in vocabulary building)
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015082133714;view=1up;seq=22
Sasha
I don't think you're going to find too much help about Forkner system details here, but your question does bring up an interesting point. Alphabetic systems have interested me, and I've looked at a few, but they all have such poorly thought out theory that after reading through a few lessons I've given up. Why develop a shorthand system and retain letters like "c" and "q", for instance? Almost always at that point I have lost interest. I don't know of any alphabetic systems that have really captured a phonetic approach to writing.
It used to be at one point that many users of different systems have been frequenting this blog. Some old discussions were quite colorful.
Here are some answers:
For your first question, it doesn't matter how you write the f, as long as you can transcribe it — in Forkner, they recommend the bottom loop for the f perhaps to distinguish it from a b.
For the second question, your answer is on page 2: "all sounds of a are expressed by ' written above the line." So even though the "a" in "small" sounds like an "o", it is still considered an "a" in Forkner because you write it with an a in longhand (you don't write "smoll") — see page 86 for more examples of the al- prefix. (It's definitely different from Gregg, for sure!)
I hope this helps.
Thank you very much for reply. I actually realized before I fell asleep that bottom loop of f written in this way helps to distinguish it from bottom loop of j.
I have not gone very far in the book but so far it looked to me that Forkner followed phonetic approach so I was confused a little bit but I presume that as I progress through the book the it will become easier.