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is used to turn one writing system into
another. It is an attempt to find equivalences between writing
systems, not sound systems. If we take one writing system and
substitute another for it, we are simply substituting one written
symbol (letter) for another, and phonetics is secondary. For example,
if the English word ``Worcestershire" is transliterated into another
writing system, we must find the equivalent of each letter of the
word, not each sound. If it is transcribed phonetically we try to
represent it phonetically by whatever will give [wUstrsr], not [worsestershair]. Logographic writing systems like
Chinese must perforce be always transcribed, since there is no way to
transliterate a Chinese character.
In this course we are primarily interested in transcription rather
than in transliteration.
Harold Schiffman
Fri Jan 17 09:48:04 EST 1997