From: Peter Kirk (peterkirk@qaya.org)
Date: Tue Jun 08 2004 - 10:05:42 CDT
On 08/06/2004 06:23, James Kass wrote:
>D. Starner wrote,
>
>
>
>>There's a big difference between Phoenician not being a separate script
>>from those already encoded in Unicode, and it not existing. It certainly
>>exists as a script variant, like Fraktur.
>>
>>In that sense, treating Phoenician as a script variant of Hebrew is a big
>>win for many of the users of the script, since they would have a hard time
>>deciphering the bizarre (to them) script variant but have no problem reading
>>texts originally written in it in different fonts.
>>
>>
>
>Suppose that the following two sentences are true:
>
>1) Scholars of Semitic *languages* consider Phoenician to be
> a script variant of modern Hebrew.
>
>2) Scholars of writing systems consider Phoenician to be
> a distinct script from modern Hebrew.
>
>It is hoped that the UTC will give each viewpoint as much careful
>consideration as it deserves.
>
>
>
>
Well, James, suppose rather that the following two sentences are true:
1) Semitic *palaeographers* i.e. scholars of Semitic *writing systems*
consider Phoenician to be a script variant of modern Hebrew.
2) Scholars of writing systems *in general* consider Phoenician to be a
distinct script from modern Hebrew.
Might that make a difference to the UTC's considerations?
As for which is nearer to the truth, I remind you of John Hudson's words
on 21st May:
> Having spent much of the past year and a half working with semiticists
> and Biblical scholars, I've come to the conclusion that they know a
> heck of a lot more about semitic writing systems than typical
> Eurocentric writers of generic texts on the history and classification
> of writing systems. I think the expert comments of semitic scholars
> should be taken very seriously in considering proposals to encode
> semitic scripts, including objections to such proposals on grounds of
> script identity.
So even Semiticists who are more interested in languages than writing
systems may well know more about the scripts than do the generalists.
-- Peter Kirk peter@qaya.org (personal) peterkirk@qaya.org (work) http://www.qaya.org/
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