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Summary
A tonal spelling natural language uniquely mapped to the Chinese
language, both in speech and in writing, has been established. Its
name is the Phonetic Chinese Language (PCL),
. Phonetic Chinese Language (PCL) is the only natural language interface
that is capable of linking Chinese ideograms to computers through
an ingenious tonal spelling for ideograms. In PCL each Phonetic
Chinese Word (PCW) is uniquely defined for a given ideogram. The
set of 10,000 PCW/Ideogram unique pairs is the foundation of the
PCL System - a new software platform.
Concurrently a complete alphabetic accountability for the Chinese
language is also established. For the first time in the history
of Chinese language, alphabetic sorting, listing, searching, matching,
merging, information retrieval, database management, etc. are readily
available to support the Chinese Information Technology (CIT). The
highest possible readability and learnability is achieved as a result
of a linguistic solution that enables precise and concise tonal
spelling for the Chinese language. The Phonetic Chinese Language
(PCL) System is a natural phonetic-tonal language supported by software
enabling unique tonal spelling for all ideograms.
PCL addresses equally well the simplified script used in China
and Singapore and the traditional script used in Taiwan and elsewhere.
More important, PCL spelling represents equally well the monosyllabic
classic Chinese and poems on the one hand, and the polysyllabic
modern Chinese speech and writing on the other hand. In all cases
PCL representations are more precise and clearer than the original.
Most important, PCL is the only system that is capable of spelling
representation of Chinese personal names (traditional or simplified
script) without ambiguity.
The key to this success is the four-dimensional (consonant, vowel,
tone and icon), 85-letter Phonetic Chinese Alphabet (PCA). The extra
two dimensions in PCA, beyond the usual consonant and vowel, namely:
the four tones and the 85 icons (letters), jointly provide a total
of 340 (4x85) homonym resolutions to each and every sound syllables
in the Mandarin Chinese (putonghua or Guoyu). The greatest obstacle
- homonyms - has finally found an elegant solution.
Based on PCA, a Chinese Standard Code for Information Interchange
(CSCII) is created for telecommunication. This one-byte format encodes
the letters of PCA serving as the foundation for phonetic-tonal
spelling in the PCL System. The one-byte format is similar to the
American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII), which
encodes the 52 letters of English alphabet. ASCII is used worldwide
for telecommunication, and it is the de facto standard for Internet
users. The one-byte format for CSCII is in contrast to all existing
Chinese-language computer systems, which use a two-byte format for
direct encoding Chinese ideograms.
The one-byte format encoding for the letters of alphabet paves
the way for the development of a natural language - the tonal spelling
for ideograms. Finally, the tonal spelling representation of ideograms
provides the Chinese information Technology (CIT) with a much need
natural language for input and processing. CIT will benefit enormously
by migrating from its present archaic state to a modern information
age with complete alphabetic accountability for Chinese.
PCL enables the archaic Chinese language to advance many centuries
directly into the modern information age. The phonetic-tonal spelling
representation elevates Chinese language to a world class, enjoyed
by all phonetic languages in the world. The PCL System also saved
the ideogram from obscurity since ideogram is the best verification
scheme for tonal input typing. Dr. Yeh received the U.S. Patent
on Phonetic Chinese Language (# 5,175,803) in 1992.
A Modern Chinese Language Teaching Technology
A working alphabet is the golden key enabling the Chinese language
to become a world class phonetic-tonal language representing ideograms
without ambiguity. PCL is not only a Chinese language-computer interface
but it is a true, natural tonal spelling language. Tonal spelling
for ideograms can be taught at any level, from 4-year old children
and upwards. PCL can be easily mastered by anyone with elementary
school training in tonal spelling. Through PCL System the study
of Chinese language and computer can take place simultaneously and
be fully integrated.
The Phonetic Chinese Words (PCWs) may be freely connected to form
polysyllabic words (PPCWs) representing Chinese compounds. Chinese
compounds are made of two or more ideograms forming a single vocabulary
word. Approximately, a typical modern Chinese text has the following
syllabic distribution: 17% monosyllable (single ideogram), 80% bisyllable
(two-ideogram compound), and 3% polysyllable (three- or more-ideogram
compound). This illustrates clearly that the Chinese language had
gradually moved toward a polysyllabic language during the past few
centuries, especially after the May 4th Movement of 1919.
One of the most striking features of Chinese ideograms is its compounding
power. A Chinese compound (more than one ideogram) derives its meaning
from its components. The first five hundred ideograms are the hardest
to learn; but afterwards, Chinese language becomes easier due to
the compounding power of ideograms. The top 1,250 ideograms could
generate more than 15,000 vocabulary words covering 90% of language.
The top 2,500 ideograms could generate 30,000 vocabulary words covering
99% of language usage. PCL not only has preserved this great advantage
but also has gone one step further by precisely defining all vocabulary
words thus removing ambiguities. Polysyllabic spelling representation
of compounds facilitate learning, reading, writing, and processing
of the language. For example, using PCL System, after a book is
written a subject index and an author index can be generated automatically.
The 10,000 (PCW/ideogram) magic pairs together with the latest
implementation for selective voicing of tone-syllables offer a revolutionary
Chinese language teaching technology. PCL is an invaluable modern
educational tool for the Chinese language, with or without computers.
Training is of great importance. Any one with elementary school
training in tonal spelling can master the PCL System. In the final
analysis, only a mother tongue, tonal spelling alphabetic system
can provide a strategic basis for long-term success of Chinese-language
computers and their widespread adoption by hundreds of millions
of users.
2001.8.25
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