11. BAYALA DATABASE CONVENTIONS
1. COMPUTER OPPORTUNITIES
In the database platform used for the Bayala series of databases, Filemaker Pro, the computer (i.e. Filemaker Pro) does not ‘see’ any difference between words spelt with CAPITALS or lowercase letters, or set in bold or italic type, or underlined, or set in any type size or font. Thus all the following are seen as the same:
BAYALA Bayala bayala BAYALA Bayala bayala Bayala bayala Bayala BAYALA Bayala bayala
Because of this, it has been possible in the Bayala databases to introduce conventions that are obvious to the eye in order to convey information but that do not affect the computer’s searching function. Elsewhere, in writings and media unconnected with the Bayala databases, such information may be conveyed by respelling. However, for the Bayala databases, simplicity, and providing for the possibility of the greatest number of matches among words, are the top priorities. The Bayala databases consequently avoid using using respelling to indicate the known or supposed length of a vowel sound (e.g. 'aa' instead of 'a'), or how a consonant might have sounded (e.g. 'rr' instead of 'r'): for while such respelling is phonologically more accurate, the range of possibilities for matches to other words diminishes.
Fig. 11.1 Simplifying double letters makes possible the discovery of word matches
NG or N-G
bold ng: indicates that this is the /ng/ nasal combination. Where ‘ng’ occurs not in bold, this indicates uncertainty as to whether it is the /ng/ nasal combination (as in English ‘singer’) or ’n’ and ‘g’ separately pronounced (as in English ‘finGer’)
capital G: indicates that the ‘g’ is separately pronounced and does not form part of an /ng/ nasal combination.
Whether ng, ng, nG, NG etc, the computer sees only 'n' followed by 'g'.
CAPITALS
capital N: represents the sound /nh/
capital D: represents the sound /dh/
capital R: used when the ‘r’ is known to have been doubled or trilled
capital A: a long form of the vowel
capital I (i.e. the letter I): a long form of this vowel (rarely used as it can be confused with a lower-case ‘L' or the numeral ‘1’)
capital U: a long form of the vowel
Text in CAPITALS often indicates that it is commentary by the Developer.
2. OTHER CONVENTIONS
FIELD BORDER
A coloured border around a field indicates that the field is drawing information from a related database.
STATUS FIELD
‘JS’ in the ‘status’ field indicates that the original record has been varied in some way by the Developer. This occurs when a new record is made from a multi-word record in order for individual words in the original record to be examined on their own.
BRACKETS or PARENTHESES
[Square brackets]: indicate a word being examined by the Developer is derived from a multiple-word original entry. ‘JS’ is shown in the Status field.
{Curly brackets}: indicate that an original entry may have multiple words, of which only one word is being examined in the record concerned.
<Arrow brackets>: used usually to mark internet references.
COLOURS
In the case of the Bayala databases, colours were arbitrarily added to help distinguish between the many columns used. ALLSYD was the first of the databases to be developed, and the same colouring choices were followed for all subsequent databases in the series.​
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See also Respelling Principles.