i9

FATHER CRAzzoLARA: The findings of the Aba Conference, which favoured n, could not be held to be binding, as it was not fully repre- sentative and as no authority for the recommendations was quoted.

BisHor Kircuine: No such claim was put forward for the Aba Conference, but that Conference had consulted the best authorities available, and these authorities ded been quoted in the course of the proceedings.

The Interdental Sounds.

_ ProressorR WESTERMANN: It was proposed to use the symbols th, dh, nh in preference to ¢, d, n, of the Arua system.

These sounds only exist in Dinka, Shilluk, and possibly Nuer, and were not discussed in detail at this stage.

The Velar n.

ProFEssOoR WESTERMANN: The symbol yn was proposed to express the sound variously written ng, ng’, n, and n; it occurred e.g. in Bari ywan four, yutu man. This symbol was necessary only in languages where both y and ng existed ; where the combination ng could only be pronounced in one way the symbol y need not be used.

lL and r.

PROFESSOR WESTERMANN: In some African languages there was no essential difference between / and 7, though pronunciation might be affected by a following 2. In such cases it did not matter whether 1 or r was written. In so far as the matter was of special interest in Zande, it could be discussed in detail by the committee dealing with that language.

BisHor Kircuine suggested that before the Memorandum was further discussed certain definite principles should first be agreed on by the Conference.

AFTERNOON.

Tue CHAIRMAN put forward the two following principles as a basis of the orthography to be adopted.

(i) One sound one symbol as far as possible, though exceptions might be necessary.

(11) Avoidance of diacritical marks as much as possible, particularly those below the line.

In the course of the discussion the question of the permissibility of digraphs and the use of diacritical marks below the letter were examined in detail.

ARCHDEACON SHAW and BisHop Krirouine both felt it to be inconsistent on the part of those responsible for the Memorandum to object to diacritical marks below the letter while using such symbols as the glottal stop, the mark indicating nasalization, etc.

THE CHairMAN: The question before the Conference now was whether the Memorandum should be adopted as the basis of our orthography. It had already been adopted in other parts of Africa,