From: arno (arno@zedat.fu-berlin.de)
Date: Fri Dec 21 2007 - 08:19:04 CST
Khaled Hosny wrote:
>> What is the problem?
>>
> The fact that all (except yeh with hamza above) are stylistic variations
> of the same character,
> Arabic ya' always have dots in initial and medial forms,
> usually lose its dots in final and isolated forms (both are seen
> in old manuscripts, but the dotted form is less common), and always lose
> its dots with hamza above.
But not always with hamza below
> Alef maksura is usually undistinguished from ya'.
> So, there is nothing as ya' with final dots and ya' without, all
> are the same ya' with mere stylistic variations. Even the retroflex ya'
> (yeh barre) is a variation of the regular ya' used by calligraphers on
> artistic basis with no different semantics.
This is true most of the time. I can even add to your argument: I have
seen both manuscripts with "alef maqsura" having dots and those in which
some end-ya's have nots other don't.
But I have seen several masahif in which dots or retroflex tail are used
to good purpose, either to distinguish between ī and ā or to distinguish
between ī and i, so I am grateful that there are superfluous characters.
And I still do not see the problem.
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