[KS] Letter to the KH on Romanization Wars

Thu Jul 20 21:44:52 EDT 2000

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    Here's yet another apparently ill-fated letter to the Korea Herald.

To the Editor:

          Unaccustomed as I am to criticizing the McCune-Reischauer =
system
of Romanization, I must admit that Gary Rector makes a good point in his
column of July 20 on the vexed issue of k/t/p/ch vs. g/d/b/j for lax
initials, Pusan or Busan, namely that Korean ears as well as foreign =
tongues
have to be taken into account.

          In fact, I think his examples strengthen his argument in a way
that he does not make explicit. Romanization is typically used for =
Korean
words (particularly names) in English (let us say) sentences. A problem =
then
naturally arises as to how they are affected by their English phonetic
context. If we apply the Korean rule that a lax stop or affricate is =
voiced
after a voiced sound, then Busan is phonetically right on in "I live in
Busan," more so than in "Busan is where I live," because of that n in =
"in,"
which is voiced. (M-R sticks with Pusan in all contexts, but only, I
suspect, to try to keep things as simple as possible, in particular to =
avoid
the sort of confusion we see in Taegu vs. Tongdaegu, "East Taegu.") If =
the
Korean listener doesn't hear voicing in this context, he will most =
likely
assume that he is hearing a strongly aspirated initial (which the =
foreign
speaker probably couldn't produce if he tried), what M-R would write as
P'usan, which would indeed be way off.

          I hasten to add that a Romanization system for Korean so =
perfect
that it assures that foreign tongues will satisfy Korean ears on subtle
points like this is a highly unlikely prospect, as Koreans who have =
studied
English for years with the benefit of the International Phonetic =
Alphabet
will surely appreciate.

John Harvey
Seoul

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>    Here's yet another =
apparently=20
ill-fated letter to the Korea Herald.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>To the=20
Editor:<BR><BR>         =20
Unaccustomed as I am to criticizing the McCune-Reischauer system<BR>of=20
Romanization, I must admit that Gary Rector makes a good point in =
his<BR>column=20
of July 20 on the vexed issue of k/t/p/ch vs. g/d/b/j for =
lax<BR>initials, Pusan=20
or Busan, namely that Korean ears as well as foreign tongues<BR>have to =
be taken=20
into =
account.<BR><BR>          =
In=20
fact, I think his examples strengthen his argument in a way<BR>that he =
does not=20
make explicit. Romanization is typically used for Korean<BR>words =
(particularly=20
names) in English (let us say) sentences. A problem then<BR>naturally =
arises as=20
to how they are affected by their English phonetic<BR>context. If we =
apply the=20
Korean rule that a lax stop or affricate is voiced<BR>after a voiced =
sound, then=20
Busan is phonetically right on in "I live in<BR>Busan," more so than in =
"Busan=20
is where I live," because of that n in "in,"<BR>which is voiced. (M-R =
sticks=20
with Pusan in all contexts, but only, I<BR>suspect, to try to keep =
things as=20
simple as possible, in particular to avoid<BR>the sort of confusion we =
see in=20
Taegu vs. Tongdaegu, "East Taegu.") If the<BR>Korean listener doesn't =
hear=20
voicing in this context, he will most likely<BR>assume that he is =
hearing a=20
strongly aspirated initial (which the foreign<BR>speaker probably =
couldn't=20
produce if he tried), what M-R would write as<BR>P'usan, which would =
indeed be=20
way off.<BR><BR>          I =
hasten=20
to add that a Romanization system for Korean so perfect<BR>that it =
assures that=20
foreign tongues will satisfy Korean ears on subtle<BR>points like this =
is a=20
highly unlikely prospect, as Koreans who have studied<BR>English for =
years with=20
the benefit of the International Phonetic Alphabet<BR>will surely=20
appreciate.<BR><BR>John =
Harvey<BR>Seoul<BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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