Phonemic Systems

YAMAGUCHI Hikal

A phoneme is redefined here as a signifié of each phonogram in the simplest system for a given language. This means to see a phoneme as an expression figure in the Hjelmslevian tradition, not as a bundle of distinctive features.
A phonogram system, i.e. a phonemic system, is simpler in proportion to the degree of well-balancedness between two contradicted demands, namely to minimize the total number of phonograms in use and to shorten the spellings of words. (Such a simplest system is probably a latent goal of romanization.)
The simplicity of the system is assumed to be tested by the phonemic table empirically arranged as follows.
a) Put phonemes with a common property in the same line in order of their tongue positions.
b) Apply symbols +, - and ± respectively to show positive, negative and neutral values, with + and - to phonemes which have contrastive counterparts, and ± to those which have none.
c) The fewer the squares and blanks in the table, the simpler the system.
Examples: Japanese.
V-B±B+BC-B-B'+B'+B
-Liu-Vptsk
+Leao+Vbdzg
V'yw±Vmnlh
Chinese.
V-B±B+BC-B-B'+B'+B
-Liüu-Abdzg
+Lïae+Aptck
-Fflsh
+Fmnrng
A = aspirated  B = back  B' = semiback
F = possible syllable final  L = low  v = voiced