Re: Sci Am Re: scripts page

Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>

> Nicholas Bodley wrote:
>
> > (Naskh is another; Sci. Am. gave clear examples of about five different
> > principal styles of Arabic script. Apparently, only well-educated Arabic
> > speakers/writers know of these names of the various styles. Courteous
> > inquiries of middle-class Arabic speakers have "drawn blanks".)
>
> No one in the modern world knows exactly what all six of the classical
> calligraphic labels mean (see WWS and references given there), but Naskh
> and Nasta'liq and Kufic should all be familiar.

Arabic-speaking immigrants whom I've met as they worked in a
convenience store, all seemed to know what Nasta'liq and Kufic
are. Interestingly, most of them have told me that they find Kufic
difficult to read.

On the other hand, how many English-speakers know what "sans
serif" means? (especially before Windows?)

--Ph. D.