APPENDIX A:  Questionnaire and Sample Text
 
 
 
 Greetings to Ethiopic Script Readers,
 
 
 
      Following you will find a sample Amharic text (an article
 fragment from Ethiopian Examiner) written in 5 systems of representation.  
 It is not the purpose of this document to discuss the development
 of the systems or to debate the merits and faults of each.  I solicit
 your opinion with respect to where you find the most comfort and ease 
 of reading.  Please return to me a ranking of the various systems in
 your order of preference (e.g. 3,5,1,4,2; 3 is best, 2 worst).  Any 
 additional comments are welcomed.  Please pass this letter on to your
 friends and colleagues.  Results of the survey will be posted when 
 available.  A discussion of the latin representation system, along with
 an ascii fidel, will be presented at that time. Note that the difference
 between some systems is subtle, you may wish to print this article to
 aid your evaluation.  Your help is much appreciated.
 
 
     Thank You,
 
 
                  danEl yaqob   (System 1,5)
                  d'nEl y'qob   (System 2)
                  da'nEl ya'qob (System 3)
                  dan"l yaqob   (System 4)
         
 
                  yacob@apollo.aoe.vt.edu
 
 
 
 
 System 1:
 ~~~~~~~
 
 Consonants:
 l'   lu   li   la   le   l    lo
 
 Independent Vowels:
  a    u    i    '    e    I    o
 
 Independent Vowel Following a 6th Form Consonant:
 lA   lU   l|i  l"   lE   lI   lO
 
     b'k'ft'Na gugut siT'b'q y'n'b'r'w y's'lamna y'Irq gubae, k'tahsas
 9-13 1986 '.m. b'adis ab'ba k't'ma bad'r'g'w y'amst q'n sbs'ba,
 b'ihAdeg y'mim'raw gizeyawi m'ngst slTanun Indiyasr'kb T'y'q'.
 
     q'd'm blo paris lay sbs'baw  Indid'r'g k'T'y'qut s'bat t'qawami
 budnoc wsT, y'sostun abalat w'd' ag'rac'w sig'bu awroplan Tabiya lay
 b'polis b'masyazna bmas'r m'ngst bzihu sbs'ba lay Indaysat'fu adrgWac'wal.
 y'tasrut abalat, ato ab'ra y'man'ab, w'/rit g'n't grma, ato m'sfn
 t'f'ra, ato al'may'hu deresana ato g'n'n'w as'fa (k'idehaq): ato s'yum 
 z'n'b' (k'm'dhn) Ina ato ibsa gut'ma (k'on'g) nac'w.
 
 
 System 2:
 ~~~~~~~
 
 la   lu   li   l'   le   l    lo
  a    u    i    '    e    I    o
 lA   lU   l|i  l"   lE   lI   lO
 
     bakaftaN' gugut siTabaq yanabaraw yasal'mn' yaIrq gub'e, kat'hs's
 9-13 1986 '.m. baadis abab' katam' b'daragaw yaamst qan sbsab',
 baihAdeg yamimar'w gizey'wi mangst slT'nun Indiy'srakb Tayaqa.
 
     qadam blo p'ris l'y sbsab'w  Indidarag kaTayaqut sab't taq'w'mi
 budnoc wsT, yasostun ab'l't wada agar'caw sigabu awropl'n T'biy' l'y
 bapolis bam'sy'zn' bm'sar mangst bzihu sbsab' l'y Ind'ys'tafu adrgWacaw'l.
 yat'srut ab'l't, ato abar' yam'naab, wa/rit ganat grm', ato masfn
 tafar', ato alam'yahu deres'n' ato gananaw asaf' (kaideh'q): ato sayum
 zanaba (kamadhn) In' ato ibs' gutam' (kaonag) n'caw.
 
 
 System 3:
 ~~~~~~~
 
 la   lu   li   la'   le   l    lo
  a    u    i    a'    e    I    o
 lA   lU   l|i  lA'   lE   lI   lO
 
     bakaftaNa' gugut siTabaq yanabaraw yasala'mna' yaIrq guba'e, kata'hsa's
 9-13 1986 a'.m. baadis ababa' katama' ba'daragaw yaamst qan sbsaba',
 baihAdeg yamimara'w gizeya'wi mangst slTa'nun Indiy'srakb Tayaqa.
 
     qadam blo pa'ris la'y sbsaba'w  Indidarag kaTayaqut saba't taqa'wa'mi
 budnoc wsT, yasostun aba'la't wada agara'caw sigabu awropla'n Ta'biya' la'y
 bapolis bama'sya'zna' bma'sar mangst bzihu sbsaba' la'y Inda'ysa'tafu 
 adrgWacawa'l.
 yata'srut aba'la't, ato abara' yama'naab, wa/rit ganat grma', ato masfn
 tafara', ato alama'yahu deresa'na' ato gananaw asafa' (kaideha'q): ato sayum
 zanaba (kamadhn) Ina' ato ibsa' gutama' (kaonag) na'caw.
 
 System 4:
 ~~~~~~~
 
 le   lu   li   la   l'   l    lo
  a    u    i    e    '    I    o
 lA   lU   l|i  lE   l"   lI   lO
 
     bekefteNa gugut siTebeq yeneberew yeselamna yeIrq guba', ketahsas
 9-13 1986 e.m. beadis abeba ketema baderegew yeamst qen sbseba,
 beihAd'g yemimeraw giz'yawi mengst slTanun Indiyasrekb Teyeqe.
 
 
     qedem blo paris lay sbsebaw  Indidereg keTeyequt sebat teqawami
 budnoc wsT, yesostun abalat wede ageracew sigebu awroplan Tabiya lay
 bepolis bemasyazna bmaser mengst bzihu sbseba lay Indaysatefu adrgWacewal.
 yetasrut abalat, ato abera yemaneab, we/rit genet grma, ato mesfn
 tefera, ato alemayehu d'r'sana ato genenew asefa (keid'haq): ato seyum
 zenebe (kemedhn) Ina ato ibsa gutema (keoneg) nacew.
 
 
 System 5:
 ~~~~~~~
 
 le   lu   li   la   l'   l    lo
  a    u    i    '    e    I    o
 lA   lU   l|i  l"   lE   lI   lO
 
     bekefteNa gugut siTebeq yeneberew yeselamna yeIrq gubae, ketahsas
 9-13 1986 '.m. beadis abeba ketema baderegew yeamst qen sbseba,
 beihAd'g yemimeraw giz'yawi mengst slTanun Indiyasrekb Teyeqe.
 
 
     qedem blo paris lay sbsebaw  Indidereg keTeyequt sebat teqawami
 budnoc wsT, yesostun abalat wede ageracew sigebu awroplan Tabiya lay
 bepolis bemasyazna bmaser mengst bzihu sbseba lay Indaysatefu adrgWacewal.
 yetasrut abalat, ato abera yemaneab, we/rit genet grma, ato mesfn
 tefera, ato alemayehu d'r'sana ato genenew asefa (keid'haq): ato seyum
 zenebe (kemedhn) Ina ato ibsa gutema (keoneg) nacew.