At 18:55 -0400 2004-08-01, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> > Abjad. A writing system in which only consonants are indicated. A
> > well-known example is the Arabic writing system, though it is not a
>> "pure" abjad because consonant letters like /w/ and /y/ are used to
>> mark long vowels /o/ or /u/ or /i/. In some abjads, vowels can also
>> be indicated by the use of secondary marks on the consonants. The
>> term "abjad" is derived from the first four letters of the
> > traditional order of the Arabic script.
>
>When they get vowel points they cease to abjads definitely,

So you think that a Hebrew Genesis when unpointed is an abjad, but
that a Hebrew Genesis pointed is no longer an abjad, but has become
an alphabet?

>and when they get matres, they cease to be true or "pure" abjads.

Well. the proposed text states specifically that Arabic isn't "pure".

>Thus the only true abjad in Phoenician.

Or possibly Ugaritic? And later Phoenician did adopt the matres (I
suppose because the pure abjad wasn't as practical as the matrified
abjad).

>Why is it useful to include this technical term in the study of writing
>systems in the Unicode glossary?

Well, the glossary is not all about the study of writing systems. At
the same time, other experts in writing systems -- and in their
implementation -- have found the terms to be useful (or at least
interesting). So... is there any serious objection to the definition,
aimed not at linguists, but at people interested at understanding
writing systems with regard to their implementation?
--
Michael Everson * * Everson Typography * * http://www.evertype.com