The incredible Professor Tokunaga

[Thomas B. Ridgeway]

Michio Yano responded (>>) to my remarks (>) and Jonathan Silk
followed up (>>>)
>  Query: how would you think it best to retranscribe the '..' '.'
>notation?  Possibly replace '..' by space and leave '.' as it is?
>>I will convey your message to Muneo Tokunaga, but changes of such
>>kind are better made by the user himself.

> Also: in the Mahabharata ';' (semicolon) is sometimes used as a
>middle-of-line divider in addition to doing duty as 'hiatus' marker.
>>Tokunaga has put this mark in order to analyse meter of the epics.
>>His very interesting paper will soon appear.

>>>         Also, just as a clarification: it was not my impression that it was
>>> being suggested that any changes such as ".." to "space plus ." be made by
>>> Professor Tokunaga.  Rather, I think this refers to the the conversion of
>>> the files being prepared by Thomas B. Ridgeway at the University of
>>> Washington.  I for one cannot imagine asking Professor Tokunaga to make
>>> even one more iota of effort than he has already done -- except perhaps to
>>> take a bow and accept the applause and accolades of his world-wide
>>> admirers.
    
  Jonathan is correct about my intention, and since I was not crytal clear 
about saying what I meant the first time, allow me this opportunity to
say that I think that the transcription of the epics is a magnificent gift
to the community.  Further, the transcriptions in their released form
are extremely well suited for use: they are not broken, and do not need
to be fixed.  The changes I am suggesting are changes for convenience
of use with some of the systems for rendering Indic in transcription;
for other purposes, e.g. generating a concordance, I will no doubt retain
the transcription with the period as division marker since it is, in some
respects, easier to parse that way.  And, indeed, the changes I am 
suggesting I intend to implement myself.

cheers,
Tom
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