From: Jim Allan (jallan@smrtytrek.com)
Date: Mon Apr 07 2003 - 17:21:13 EDT
Edward C. D. Hopkins wrote:
> When typing a lunate Sigma in a Greek inscription, I can chose either U+03A3
> GREEK CAPITAL LETTER SIGMA or U+03F9 GREEK CAPITAL LUNATE SIGMA SYMBOL
> (listed in UC 4.0 beta as an "archaic letter"). Visit my chart at
> http://parthia.com/fonts/glyphchart.htm to see nine variants of Sigma used
> in numismatic inscriptions, only one of which is lunate Sigma. More glyph
> forms are found in non-numismatic inscriptions. Since there is no apparent
> difference in meaning, but only a difference in the artistic style of the
> glyph, does the "symbol" connotation somehow explain why two letters with
> the same meaning have been placed in Unicode?
There is a gripe (incorrect) about Unicode's failure to recognize either
uppercase or lowercase lunate sigma here:
http://m17n.org/cgreek/archive/20000906/127.html.
There is an explanation of uses of lunate and non-lunate sigma and doubt
whether Unicode should or should not recognize both at
http://omega.enstb.org/yannis/pdf/boston99.pdf. Search for "lunate".
For the actual proposal request for capital lunate sigma see
http://www.tlg.uci.edu/final/lunate which gives the original proposal
requesting capital lunate sigma.
In short, there was enough desire and "need" for both forms that Unicode
now provides them.
People may use either or both as desired.
Jim Allan
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