Merging phonology with dictionary construction Merging morphophonology with syntax

12:30–2:00 Lunch 2:00–3:30 Grammar session 3:30–3:45 Tea 3:45–5:00 Grammar session

3.1.2 Merging phonology with dictionary construction

One of the most important uses of a dictionary by language development teams is to regulate consistent spelling. Each new literacy and Scripture book drafted can be checked for spelling in comparison with the entries of the dictionary, assuming the dictionary entries have been spelled correctly. In the RGC workshop, the sounds of words are thoroughly investigated in comparison and contrast with the sounds of other words. After the workshop, only those words that have been confirmed to have correct spelling are entered into the dictionary. In this way, the dictionary is a tool that can be trusted for standardizing the writing of the language. For examples, see the list of beginning dictionaries produced from RGC workshops, given in appendix A.

3.1.3 Merging morphophonology with syntax

It is possible to analyze the sound changes of most morphemes in a language, and still not be able to recognize certain morphemes in a given text. In some languages, the underlying segments of certain morphemes can be more or less deciphered correctly from merely observing the morphemes in their natural context of discourse. But in other languages, certain morphemes have such diverse allomorphs because of numerous assimilation processes that they are unrecognizable as belonging to the same morpheme by non-speakers. For this reason, it is imperative that the actual lexemes of texts that will later be analyzed for syntax and discourse, and not just other lexemes from wordlists, first be analyzed for morphophonology. Otherwise, you may have a near perfect analysis of morphophonology and a near perfect analysis of syntax, but no way to view the two working together in natural discourse. It would be like building a bridge from opposite sides of a river at the same time, and discovering later that because the measurements were incorrect, the sides can never be joined in the middle. Further, in order to make the most of the texts used in the RGC workshop, they should afterwards be made into a story book for readers of the language. To insure that all words of this book are correctly spelled, as well as all the words of literacy books already in existence, they should be included in the phonological analysis of the workshop, that is, they need to be written on cards to be analyzed in the workshop.

3.2 Tools of an RGC workshop