ASCII clicks and missing tone in a typed essay
A candidate types a 400-word essay in the school computer room. The computer has no Khoekhoegowab keyboard layout, so the candidate uses ASCII substitutes: '!' for ǃ, '|' for ǀ, '//' for ǁ, and '≠' for ǂ. All tone accents are left off because the candidate cannot find the dead-key combinations. The draft contains the place name '!goa|nas', the word '||khara', and a sentence where the candidate intended 'ǀg' but typed '|g'. The teacher prints the draft and asks the candidate to produce a fair copy by hand. The candidate has a bilingual dictionary but only 25 minutes. The teacher says the fair copy will be marked for orthography and language usage, not content.
1. What should the candidate fix first, and why?
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The candidate should fix distinctions that change lexical identity before cosmetic standardisation. The highest priority is the contrast between '|' and '//' in the draft: '|' represents ǀ and '//' represents ǁ, which are different click types, so '!goa|nas' and '||khara' may be misread as different words. The intended 'ǀg' typed as '|g' is also serious because the accompaniment g is part of the word's shape. Replacing '!' with ǃ is necessary for official orthography but does not change the phoneme in the same way; it removes ambiguity with punctuation. Replacing '≠' with ǂ is similarly a glyph correction. Tone is important, but if the dictionary marks tone the candidate can restore it word by word; if not, guessing accents may create false forms. A sensible order is: click type, then accompaniment, then tone, then consistent glyphs. In 25 minutes, prioritise repeated words and proper names.
2. Is replacing '!' with 'ǃ' merely cosmetic? Explain the difference between glyph standardisation and phonological contrast in this draft.
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It is not merely cosmetic, but it is a different kind of problem from the '|' versus '//' confusion. Writing '!' instead of ǃ restores the official click letter and prevents the mark from being read as an exclamation mark, especially at the start of a sentence. That is glyph standardisation: the underlying click type is unchanged. Writing '|' when ǁ is intended is a phonological error, because ǀ and ǁ are separate click types and can distinguish words. The same applies to an accompaniment: '|g' versus '|kh' is not a font issue but a different consonant. A strong answer should separate these layers, because the candidate's limited time should go to errors that alter the word. The teacher's marking criteria for orthography and language usage will reward consistent official letters, but consistency cannot repair a wrong click type. The candidate should therefore correct the contrast first and standardise glyphs throughout afterwards.
3. How should the candidate handle tone when the dictionary entry is unclear or the handwritten draft is ambiguous?
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The candidate should not invent tone marks simply to look complete. If the dictionary marks tone, transfer the marking exactly to the fair copy. If the entry is unclear, use a known related form or a phrase in which the word occurs, because agreement and syntax can confirm the word's shape. If neither works, the candidate should choose the unmarked or most plausible reading and keep it consistent, rather than scattering accents at random. In a fair copy, a pencilled query in the margin is better than a false accent in the text, but the candidate should remember that the examiner marks the text, not the query. The wider principle is that tone is part of spelling in Khoekhoegowab, not decoration; however, a missing accent is a lesser error than a wrong click type or a wrong accompaniment. In the remaining time, the candidate should check high-frequency words and names first.