[BlindMath] [brailleuk] Subsec. 10.8.1 in the UEB Rulebook, 2nd ed: Why not use the "ence" contraction in the word "electroencephalogram"?

[Donald Winiecki]

Hi Saaqub,

Your questions have been very good ones!

The proper braille orthography of electroencephalogram is accountable to
the preference rules.  Here is how I use those rules in this case.  (Note
that I am very happy to receive additional questions and even corrections
from others!  We're all here to improve our knowledge and skill of UEB.)

10.10.7 states:

...use the strong groupsigns and the lower groupsigns in preference
to the initial-letter contractions and the final-letter groupsigns provided
their use does not waste space. [Space-saving takes precedence over
this rule.]

10.10.8 states:

Select the groupsign which more nearly approximates the usual
pronunciation of the word and which does not distort the form of the
word.

The word electroencephalogram takes up 19 symbols whether formed with the
`ence` final-letter groupsign, and 20 symbols when using the `en` lower
groupsign.  If we used only 10.10.7, this might be definitive.

However, using the `en` lower groupsign instead of the `ence` final-letter
contraction produces a form that more closely facilitates the proper
pronunciation of the word.  As a result, we would use the `en` lower
groupsign in favor of the `ence` final-letter contraction.

Hope this helps!

_don



On Thu, Apr 19, 2018 at 8:03 AM, Saaqib Mahmuud <dmarc-noreply at freelists.org
> wrote:

> In one of the examples illustrating the exceptions to the rule for using
> the final-letter contractions for "ance" and "ence" in Subsec. 10.8.1 in
> the UEB Rulebook, 2nd edition, 2013, the word "electroencephalogram" has
> been transcribed WITHOUT the "ence" contraction.
>
> What is the justification for not using this contraction?
>
> Regards.
>
> Saaqib
>