Re: which scripts are written vertically

From: fantasai (fantasai.lists@inkedblade.net)
Date: Mon May 16 2011 - 17:33:04 CDT

  • Next message: Ken Whistler: "Re: which scripts are written vertically"

    On 05/13/2011 08:38 PM, Asmus Freytag wrote:
    > On 5/10/2011 1:19 PM, fantasai wrote:
    >> There's a Unicode FAQ on the Unicode website:
    >> http://unicode.org/faq/bidi.html
    >> The second question is
    >> "Which scripts are written vertically?"
    >>
    >> But the answer given does not answer the question. The only script
    >> it lists explicitly is Mongolian; the rest of the text is just some
    >> background information on what vertical layout might entail.
    >
    > That's fine - the FAQ is not the place to provide definite script properties,
    > and certainly, not the place to give lists that need to be kept in synch as
    > additional scripts are encoded.

    Well the FAQ should at least answer the questions it asks, so either
    the question needs to be updated, or the answer needs to be updated.
    Right now, the question and answer don't match.

    >> I would actually like to have a definitive answer to this question. :)
    >
    > If you are asking for a definite Unicode property applying to scripts,

    That would be handy, and useful, but atm I just need an exhaustive informal
    answer wrt Unicode 6.0. :)

    > that would a different matter. If such a property existed, it would be
    > something that would be appropriate for reference by external standards
    > and specifications, just in case you might be aiming at some use like
    > that. To request/suggest the addition of such a listing, you need to
    > provide a workable and clear cut definition of "are writen vertically"
    > and propose it using the contact form you can find on the website.
    >
    > I think "Multi-paragraph texts in vertical writing are common in modern
    > texts, using digital layout" is what you are after for the definition.

    I'd drop the "using digital layout" part but otherwise, yes, that's a
    good definition. If we had such a property it would need to state for
    each script:
       - what vertical directionality it has (if any). Horizontal scripts
         would be none. Most vertical scripts would be top-to-bottom. Going
         by Michael Everson's answer, Ogham would be bottom-to-top.
       - If it has vertical directionality, how the text is transformed from
         horizontal to vertical, i.e. are grapheme clusters rotated (laid
         sideways wrt horizontal) or translated (kept upright like CJK).

    ~fantasai

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