Re: [NTG-context] using \definebodyfont with multiple size declarations -- Why?

Standing corrected, the impact using eg. CharisSIL for phonetic/IPA symbols the impact is much less: eg. a jump from 2.8 to 4.8 seconds in Example (2) given below. The impact of 2 seconds is bearable!

Then it must simply be the font. Whatever the amount of text you typeset using that font, it must be loaded in the first place, and that – obviously – takes more time if it's larger, as is the case for Chinese. Arthur