Re: Hebrew Vav Holam

From: Peter Kirk (peter.r.kirk@ntlworld.com)
Date: Wed Jul 30 2003 - 15:10:54 EDT

  • Next message: Peter Kirk: "Re: From [b-hebrew] Variant forms of vav with holem"

    On 30/07/2003 12:29, Jony Rosenne wrote:

    >Problem:
    >
    >We have here one character sequence with two alternate renditions: the
    >common rendition, in which they are the same, and a distinguished rendition
    >which uses two separate glyphs for the separate meanings.
    >
    Or we could state it this way:

    We have here two semantically different character sequences with two
    alternate renditions: a simplified modern rendition in common use, in
    which they are the same, and a rendition distinguished by a thousand
    year history which uses two separate glyphs for the separate meanings.

    >
    >On paper, which is two-dimensional, it is a Vav with a Holam point somewhere
    >above it. Unicode decided that in the encoding, which is one-dimensional,
    >the marks follow the base character.
    >
    >Any solution should accommodate both kinds of users and both renditions.
    >
    >
    Agreed.

    >Solution: Suggestions, please.
    >
    >Jony
    >
    >
    If we want to hold to the principle that marks which appear physically
    above a particular base character should be encoded after it (i.e.
    encoding the position on the paper rather than the underlying logic),
    and the one that we avoid new precomposed characters, the best solution
    would appear to be to define a new character HEBREW POINT RIGHT HOLAM.
    According to this same principle, this character should be used also for
    holam above the right of alef. It can be given a compatibility
    decomposition to U+05B9 to minimise incompatibility with existing texts.

    There is a convenient hole for this character at U+05BA, which I
    understand corresponds to a place where there used to be a second holam
    in an old Israeli standard.

    -- 
    Peter Kirk
    peter.r.kirk@ntlworld.com
    http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
    


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