Re: Latin Ligatures and Unicode

From: peter_constable@sil.org
Date: Thu Dec 30 1999 - 10:05:36 EST


       ---------------------- Forwarded by Peter
       Constable/IntlAdmin/WCT on 12/30/99 09:40 AM
       ---------------------------

       From: <unicore@unicode.org> AT Internet on 12/30/99 07:26 AM

       Received on: 12/30/99

       To: Peter Constable/IntlAdmin/WCT, <unicore@unicode.org> AT
             Internet@Ccmail
       cc:
       Subject: Re: Latin Ligatures and Unicode


       I agree; we should join these two threads back on the public
       list. Your posting would be a good addition to that, so you
       might repeat it.

       Mark

       peter_constable@sil.org wrote:

> ME>> In the paper I am preparing right now I have two
       identical
> > texts printed 20 years apart, in the same font, but
       with
> different uses of > different ligatures, both within
       the same
> text and between the two texts. > These aren't
       semantic
> ligatures, but they are certainly unpredictable and >
       we really
> need a solid mechanism to handle them.
>
> KW>It seems to me that this is the kind of example
       that
> *undermines* the case for a ZWL, and strengthens the
       case for
> using markup for this kind of thing.
>
> I'd agree with Ken here. I've suggested three
       minimally
> necessary conditions for characters that control
       ligation in
> plain text:
>
> 1) that there are cases where ligation determines a
       (lexical)
> semantic distinction
>
> 2) that these cases involve ligatures that are not
       predictable
> by context
>
> 3) that these cases involve ligatures that are not
       optional
> within the given writing system
>
> It sounds like the example Michael mentions meets only
        the
> second of these conditions.
>
> (By the way, is there a reason why there is a
       sub-thread on
> this topic that's happening on the unicore list rather
        than on
> the unicode list, where most of the discussion on this
        topic is
> taking place?)
>
> Peter



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