John Cowan wrote:
> For a particularly pure example of a featural script, see
> http://www.zompist.com/elkwrite.htm .

Oplà:


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Non-proposal for Elkarîl in the ConScript Unicode Registry

1. Script Description

Elkarîl is a conlang invented by Mark Rosenfelder. Further information about
Elkarîl can be found at <http://www.zompist.com/elkwrite.htm>.

In the Elkarîl script, each syllable is represented by a human head seen
frontally: the shape and clothing of the top of the head and of the chin
represent the initial and final consonants, respectively, while the
expression of the face represents the vowel.

Other phonetic information is represented by a variety of other details such
as ears, hands, or weapons.

In CSUR, each basic Elkarîl syllable is encoded with exactly three letter
characters, in this order:

1) an initial consonant (range U+0F1700..U+0F170C)
2) a vowel (range U+0F1720..U+0F1728)
3) a final consonant (range U+0F1710..U+0F171C)

The three letters of each basic syllable stack on top of each other to form
a composite glyph representing the syllable's head.

A basic syllable can be followed by any number of diacritic signs (ranges
U+0F1730..U+0F1738 and U+0F1740..U+0F175E), which will visually be placed
on one of the four sides of the head or on overlaid on the face.

Many diacritic signs have contextual glyphs and/or can form complex
ligatures with each other and with the three letters of the basic syllable.
Elkarîl is a so-called "Unicode complex script" and it requires some form of
"smart font" technology (e.g. OpenType or ATSUI) in order to be rendered
correctly.

The Elkarîl block also comprises a set of thirteen numeric signs (range
U+0F1760..U+0F176C) which don't have any particular typographic complexity.

2. Block Description

Initial consonants (head tops and headgears):

U+0F1700 ELKARIL LETTER ACUTE HEAD TOP (initial consonant p)
U+0F1701 ELKARIL LETTER ROUND HEAD TOP (initial consonant t)
U+0F1702 ELKARIL LETTER HOLLOW HEAD TOP (initial consonant ch)
U+0F1703 ELKARIL LETTER ROUNDED HEAD TOP WITH ROUNDED ANGLES (initial
consonant k)
U+0F1704 ELKARIL LETTER SQUARED HEAD TOP (initial consonant q)
U+0F1705 ELKARIL LETTER CRESCENT-LIKE HEAD TOP (initial filler)
U+0F1706 ELKARIL LETTER HAT WITH ONE TIP (initial consonant m)
U+0F1707 ELKARIL LETTER HAT WITH TWO TIPS (initial consonant n)
U+0F1708 ELKARIL LETTER HAT WITH THREE TIPS (initial consonant ñ)
U+0F1709 ELKARIL LETTER HORNED HAT (initial consonant ng)
U+0F170A ELKARIL LETTER TURBAN (initial consonant l)
U+0F170B ELKARIL LETTER FEZ (initial consonant ly)
U+0F170C ELKARIL LETTER DOUBLE HAT (initial consonant r)
U+0F170D (This position shall not be used)
U+0F170E (This position shall not be used)
U+0F170F (This position shall not be used)

Final consonants (chins and neckwear):

U+0F1710 ELKARIL LETTER ACUTE CHIN (final consonant p)
U+0F1711 ELKARIL LETTER ROUND CHIN (final consonant t)
U+0F1712 ELKARIL LETTER HOLLOW CHIN (final consonant ch)
U+0F1713 ELKARIL LETTER ROUNDED CHIN WITH ROUNDED ANGLES (final consonant
k)
U+0F1714 ELKARIL LETTER SQUARED CHIN (final consonant q)
U+0F1715 ELKARIL LETTER CRESCENT-LIKE CHIN (final filler)
U+0F1716 ELKARIL LETTER SCARF WITH ONE TIP (final consonant m)
U+0F1717 ELKARIL LETTER SCARF WITH TWO TIPS (final consonant n)
U+0F1718 ELKARIL LETTER SCARF WITH THREE TIPS (final consonant ñ)
U+0F1719 ELKARIL LETTER HORNED SCARF (final consonant ng)
U+0F171A ELKARIL LETTER NECK BANDAGE (final consonant l)
U+0F171B ELKARIL LETTER SQUARED PECTORAL (final consonant ly)
U+0F171C ELKARIL LETTER DOUBLE PECTORAL (final consonant r)
U+0F171D (This position shall not be used)
U+0F171E (This position shall not be used)
U+0F171F (This position shall not be used)

Vowels (facial expressions):

U+0F1720 ELKARIL LETTER VERY SAD FACE (vowel u)
U+0F1721 ELKARIL LETTER SAD FACE (vowel î)
U+0F1722 ELKARIL LETTER IMPENETRABLE FACE (vowel i)
U+0F1723 ELKARIL LETTER ANGRY FACE (vowel e)
U+0F1724 ELKARIL LETTER INDIGNANT FACE (vowel ê)
U+0F1725 ELKARIL LETTER GRINNING FACE (vowel a)
U+0F1726 ELKARIL LETTER SAD AND PERPLEXED FACE (vowel â)
U+0F1727 ELKARIL LETTER VERY HAPPY FACE (vowel o)
U+0F1728 ELKARIL LETTER HAPPY FACE (vowel ô)
U+0F1729 (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172A (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172B (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172C (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172D (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172E (This position shall not be used)
U+0F172F (This position shall not be used)

Vowel shortcut marks (eyebrows):

U+0F1730 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM VERY SAD FACE (vowel
shortcut u)
U+0F1731 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM SAD FACE (vowel
shortcut î)
U+0F1732 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM IMPENETRABLE FACE
(vowel shortcut i)
U+0F1733 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM ANGRY FACE (vowel
shortcut e)
U+0F1734 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM INDIGNANT FACE
(vowel shortcut ê)
U+0F1735 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM GRINNING FACE (vowel
shortcut a)
U+0F1736 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM SAD AND PERPLEXED
FACE (vowel shortcut â)
U+0F1737 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM VERY HAPPY FACE
(vowel shortcut o)
U+0F1738 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CIRCLED EYEBROWS FROM HAPPY FACE (vowel
shortcut ô)
U+0F1739 (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173A (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173B (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173C (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173D (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173E (This position shall not be used)
U+0F173F (This position shall not be used)

Vowel modifiers (eye opening modifiers):

U+0F1740 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK WIDE OPEN EYES (long vowel)
U+0F1741 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK VERY WIDE OPEN EYES (very long vowel)

Consonant modifiers (wrinkles and hair):

U+0F1742 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK WRINKLE ABOVE BROWS (initial consonant is
voiced)
U+0F1743 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK TWO WRINKLES ABOVE BROWS (initial
consonant is implosive)
U+0F1744 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK HAIR ON HEAD (initial consonant is
fricative)
U+0F1745 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK WRINKLE BELOW MOUTH (final consonant is
voiced)
U+0F1746 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK WRINKLE BELOW OPEN MOUTH (final consonant
is implosive)
U+0F1747 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK BEARD ON CHIN (final consonant is
fricative)

Prefix marks (things below or on left side of head):

U+0F1748 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK SMALL FIST ABOVE HEAD (agentive prefix n-)
U+0F1749 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK NARROWED NOSE AND THICKENED LIPS (feminine
prefix ch-)
U+0F174A ELKARIL COMBINING MARK MUSTACHES UNDER NOSE (masculine prefix g-)
U+0F174B ELKARIL COMBINING MARK ARROW ABOVE HEAD (negative prefix t-)
U+0F174C ELKARIL COMBINING MARK EAR ON LEFT SIDE OF HEAD (conjunction
prefix p-)
U+0F174D ELKARIL COMBINING MARK SMALL SQUARE ABOVE HEAD (repetition prefix
q- -- may be repeated)

Suffix marks (things below or on the right side of head):

U+0F174E ELKARIL COMBINING MARK SMALL RING BELOW HEAD (nominalizer suffix
-a)
U+0F174F ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CURVED SHAPE BELOW HEAD (suffix -u)
U+0F1750 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK SWORD ON RIGH SIDE OF HEAD (honorific
suffix -e)
U+0F1751 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CROSSED SQUARE BELOW HEAD (locative suffix
-ch)
U+0F1752 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK ROW OF PEBBLES BELOW HEAD (material suffix
-m)
U+0F1753 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK PERCTORAL SHIELD BELOW HEAD (adjectivizer
suffix -r)
U+0F1754 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK WHISKERS ON THE SIDES OF THE HEAD
(despective suffix -kh -- may be repeated)
U+0F1755 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK NARROW HOOKED LINE BELOW HEAD (repetitive
suffix -th)
U+0F1756 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK TWO HANDS BELOW HEAD (causative suffix -d)
U+0F1757 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CASTELLATION BELOW HEAD (genitive suffix
-îl)
U+0F1758 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK BAR WITH TOP SECTION ENLARGED (top
location suffix -êb)
U+0F1759 ELKARIL COMBINING MARK BAR WITH MIDDLE SECTION ENLARGED (middle
location suffix -îd)
U+0F175A ELKARIL COMBINING MARK BAR WITH BOTTOM SECTION ENLARGED (bottom
location suffix -ôg)
U+0F175B ELKARIL COMBINING MARK BISECTED BAR (one half location suffix
-iph)

Infix marks (details added to face):

U+0F175C ELKARIL COMBINING MARK TONGUE EXTENDING FROM THE MOUTH (infix
-r-)
U+0F175D ELKARIL COMBINING MARK NOSE RING (infix -l-)
U+0F175E ELKARIL COMBINING MARK TEETH (infix -n-)

Numeric signs:

U+0F1760 ELKARIL DIGIT ZERO
U+0F1761 ELKARIL DIGIT ONE
U+0F1762 ELKARIL DIGIT TWO
U+0F1763 ELKARIL DIGIT THREE
U+0F1764 ELKARIL DIGIT FOUR
U+0F1765 ELKARIL DIGIT FIVE
U+0F1766 ELKARIL DIGIT SIX
U+0F1767 ELKARIL DIGIT SEVEN
U+0F1768 ELKARIL DIGIT EIGHT
U+0F1769 ELKARIL DIGIT NINE
U+0F176A ELKARIL DIGIT TEN
U+0F176B ELKARIL DIGIT ELEVEN
U+0F176C ELKARIL NUMBER TWELVE


3. Character properties

- The Bidirectional Category of all characters in block is "L"
(Left-to-Right -- but notice that the actual script directionality is
top-to-bottom).

- The Mirrored property of all characters in block is "N" (no);

- The Canonical Combining Class of all characters in block is "0";

- The digits (U+0F1760..U+0F176B) have the expected Digit Value;

- All numeric signs (the twelve digits plus U+0F176C) have the expected
Numeric Value;

- The General Category properties have the following values:
U+0F1700..U+0F1728 = Lo (Other letter)
U+0F1730..U+0F1738 = Lm (Modifier letter)
U+0F1740..U+0F175E = Mn (Nonspacing mark)
U+0F1760..U+0F176C = No (Other number)

- All other properties are empty.


4. Encoding example

The word "Elkarîl" found on <http://www.zompist.com/elkwrite.htm> will be
encoded as follows:

U+0F1705 (ELKARIL LETTER CRESCENT-LIKE HEAD TOP = initial consonant
"zero")
U+0F1723 (ELKARIL LETTER ANGRY FACE = vowel "e")
U+0F1713 (ELKARIL LETTER ROUNDED CHIN WITH ROUNDED ANGLES = final "k")
U+0F175D (ELKARIL COMBINING MARK NOSE RING - "-l-" infix)
U+0F174E (ELKARIL COMBINING MARK SMALL RING BELOW HEAD = suffix "-a" =
nominalizer)
U+0F1753 (ELKARIL COMBINING MARK PERCTORAL SHIELD BELOW HEAD = suffix
"-r" = adjectivizer)
U+0F1757 (ELKARIL COMBINING MARK CASTELLATION BELOW HEAD = suffix "-îl"
= genitive)


5. What does that "non-proposal" mean anyway?

I called this a "non-proposal" because I know that John Cowan and Michael
Everson will ask me: "Will you provide a Elkarîl font for us to publish
your proposal on the CSUR website?", and I will reply: "Nope, gentlemen! I
won't spend some month of my life trying to produce the most complex
OpenType font ever attempted just to read my name on the CSUR website...",
and they will say: "Good. Then the proposal is refused."

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:-)

Ciao.
Marco