Ken Olson recently made a major contribution to what is an obscure, but necessary science if the gospel is going to go into all the world. Olson contributed a new symbol to the International Phonetic AlphabetÌ¢âÂÛthe first new contribution in twelve years. Linguists have agreed on the special alphabet when doing transcriptions of different languages. Ultimately the work leads to helping missionaries with translations. Olson proposed the symbol for what is known as the labiodental flap. “The sound is produced by drawing the lower lip back into the mouthÌ¢âÂÛwell behind the upper teethÌ¢âÂÛand then bringing it forward rapidly, striking the upper teeth briefly in passing,” according to SIL International, the organization for which Olson is the associate international linguistics coordinator. The symbol looks like the combination of a “v” and an “r” and technically is known as “a right hook ‘v.'” Prior to its inclusion, linguists used ad hoc letter combinations such as “vw,” Olson says. (Covenant News)
