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The H-system

by Jonatano, December 31, 2015

Messages: 29

Language: English

Jonatano (User's profile) December 31, 2015, 11:23:22 PM

Does anyone use the H-system to replace accent marks anymore? My impression is that it has largely been displaced by the X-system.

Vestitor (User's profile) December 31, 2015, 11:26:58 PM

I have (and most people have access to) a keyboard layout that makes the accented letters very easily, so neither the H or the X system is really necessary now.

However, the X system seems dominant where the accented letters can't be produced.

EratoNysiad (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 12:03:57 AM

The H-system isn't perfect whilst the X-system isn't pretty. Senchava, for instance, is senco-hava, not sen-ĉava. With the X-system, you immediately see that there is indeed no diacritic on the c, but with the H-system, on the other had, you'd think there'd be one. But I'd use the X-system, for disambiguations like that, if I have no choice.

Vestitor (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 1:00:21 AM

The 'h' system is the one Zamenhof proposed in the Fundamento. This was basically because normal typewriters didn't have the diacritical marks, but in the age of computers this is not a problem now. The problem has 'gone away'.

ludomastro (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 3:26:25 AM

Vestitor:The 'h' system is the one Zamenhof proposed in the Fundamento. This was basically because normal typewriters didn't have the diacritical marks, but in the age of computers this is not a problem now. The problem has 'gone away'.
For some perhaps; however, I have no idea how to make my keyboard give me diacritics. I will continue to use the X-system as it avoids potential confusion.

sergejm (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 9:05:14 AM

Some lernu!-users uses h-system, they say it is only Fundamento system. x-system is better, pure Esperanto text can be automatically converted to accented letters, but it is not perfect: in roman number CX and English word 'auxillary' such convertor makes error. Interalie, any system is not perfect: text that speaks about the systems can not be converted automatically.
Unicode contain all Esperanto letters, but if small font is used, it is not easy to see is it 'j' or 'ĵ'.

Miland (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 9:59:35 AM

I use the online Melburno Notlibro to convert text if necessary (otherwise I just use the x-system).

Alkanadi (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 2:25:44 PM

EratoNysiad:The H-system isn't perfect whilst the X-system isn't pretty.
Well said. I have seen people using both but x is by far the most popular.

devilyoudont (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 5:01:27 PM

I feel like I am more likely to see the h system when a text is in Esperanto but is generally against Esperanto or for another language. Example: http://idolinguo.org.uk/kielido.htm

I've only been at this a few months, but that's the impression I've gotten ridulo.gif

Vestitor (User's profile) January 1, 2016, 5:15:40 PM

ludomastro:
Vestitor:The 'h' system is the one Zamenhof proposed in the Fundamento. This was basically because normal typewriters didn't have the diacritical marks, but in the age of computers this is not a problem now. The problem has 'gone away'.
For some perhaps; however, I have no idea how to make my keyboard give me diacritics. I will continue to use the X-system as it avoids potential confusion.
There's no reason you can't have the diacritical marks. Tajpi for Windows is free and easy to use and the addition of Esperanto as language on Linux is a point and click affair.

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