To: CyrTeX-en@vsu.ru, lcs@topo.math.u-psud.fr,
	mpoliak@pcomp.nauu.kiev.ua
Subject: C in ASCII-Cyrillic
Message-Id: <E142vkT-0006qv-00@topo.math.u-psud.fr>
From: Laurent Siebenmann <lcs@topo.math.u-psud.fr>
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 14:33:41 +0100


Dear Colleagues,

The following applies equally to Russian and Ukrainian.

Currently "email-ru.tex" c <--> \cyrch. The other strong
candidate is c <--> \cyrc.

The LaTeX notation is not a conclusive argument for 
c <--> \cyrc since LaTeX is not an issue for most
Russian/Ukrainian speakers.  More important is
 '{c}--> ts for both the US Lib Congr transliteration
and the Ukrainian official transliteration.

Currently "email-ru.tex" uses 't <--> \cyrc since the
closest English sound is ts. 

Maksym Polyakov now has now noted some other good arguments in
favor of c <--> \cyrc:

 > Concerning \cyrc and \cyrch (in both Rus and 
 > Ukr) I would make \cyrc -> c and \cyrch -> 'c. Why? 
 > When we (Ukrainians and Russians) spell Latin (not 
 > English) alphabet we prononce c \cyrc\cyre (or 
 > \cyrc\cyrerev for Russian). In Czech, Slovak (and 
 > maybe Polish) c represents the sound \cyrc. 

The last argument is new to me and very strong.

Note that the *westward* migration of words 
usually supports 't <--> \cyrc='{c}:   

           '{c}ar --> tsar (in English)
           '{c}igan --> tsigane (in French)

whereas the *eastern* migration of words supports
c <--> \cyrc:

           circus (Latin)  --> '{c}irk 
           centrum (Latin)  --> '{c}entr

(Unfortunately the exact Roman pronunciation of c
is lost!)

On the other hand, eastern migration
equally supports 't <--> \cyrc='{c} 
    
           natio (Latin) --> na'{c}i'a (=nation)
           Platz (German) --> pla'{c} 


Any further arguments either way?

Cheers

Laurent S

PS.  Adoption of c <--> \cyrc
will force 'c <--> \cyrch.
Then 't --> \cyrc could be an alternative
as a consolation to westerners.