ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N____
Date: 1997-05-27
This is an unofficial HTML version of a document submitted to WG2.

Title: Proposal for encoding the Gothic script in ISO/IEC 10646

Source: Michael Everson
Status: Expert Contribution
Action: For consideration by JTC1/SC2/WG2

This document contains the proposal summary (ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 form N1352) and contains a complete proposal to encode the Gothic script in ISO/IEC 10646. This proposal is a minor revision of a proposal by John Jenkins (http://www..html).

A. Administrative

1. TitleProposal for encoding the Gothic script in ISO/IEC 10646
2. Requester's nameMichael Everson, Evertype (WG2 member for Ireland)
3. Requester typeExpert contribution
4. Submission date1997-05-27
5. Requester's referencehttp://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/plane-1/gt.html
6a. CompletionThis is a complete proposal.
6b. More information to be provided?No.

B. Technical -- General

1a. New script? Name?Yes. Gothic.
1b. Addition of characters to existing block? Name?No
2. Number of characters31
3. Proposed categoryCategory D
4. Proposed level of implementation and rationaleGothic requires Level 1 implementation.
5a. Character names included in proposal?Yes
5b. Character names in accordance with guidelines?Yes
5c. Character shapes reviewable?Yes
6a. Who will provide computerized font?Michael Everson, Evertype
6b. Font currently available?Michael Everson, Evertype
6c. Font format?TrueType
7a. Are references (to other character sets, dictionaries, descriptive texts, etc.) provided?Yes.
7b. Are published examples (such as samples from newspapers, magazines, or other sources) of use of proposed characters attached?No.
8. Does the proposal address other aspects of character data processing?No.

C. Technical -- Justification

1. Contact with the user community?No.
2. Information on the user community?Scholarly community and script enthusiasts.
3a. The context of use for the proposed characters?Gothic script is commonly used to write Gothic.
3b. ReferenceSee below.
4a. Proposed characters in current use?Yes
4b. Where?By scholars worldwide.
5a. Characters should be encoded entirely in BMP?No. Positions U+0001 0000 - U+0001 002F are proposed for the encoding.
5b. RationaleGothic is a Category D script.
6. Should characters be kept in a continuous range?Yes
7a. Can the characters be considered a presentation form of an existing character or character sequence? Yes
7b. Where?Character EIS WITH DIAERESIS could conceivable be decomposed but it is suggested that processing of this script would be simpler if it were not; also there is the compatibility issue with existing fonts.
7c. Reference 
8a. Can any of the characters be considered to be similar (in appearance or function) to an existing character?No, apart from the usual resemblences of the related Greek script.
8b. Where? 
8c. Reference 
9a. Combining characters or use of composite sequences included?No
9b. List of composite sequences and their corresponding glyph images provided?No
10. Characters with any special properties such as control function, etc. included?No

D. SC2/WG2 Administrative

To be completed by SC2/WG2
1. Relevant SC 2/WG 2 document numbers: 
2. Status (list of meeting number and corresponding action or disposition) 
3. Additional contact to user communities, liaison organizations etc. 
4. Assigned category and assigned priority/time frame 
Other Comments 

E. Proposal

User community

 The Gothic script was devised in the 4th century by the Gothic bishop, Wulfila, to provide his people with a written language and a means of reading the Bible. It is also known as Wulfila's alphabet. Its known use is restricted to fragments of the Gothic Bible.

Processing

 Gothic was written from left to right. Capital letters are not used but sometimes a letter was drawn larger in the usual positions for capitals. It is suggested that font size be used to handle this. Two characters have only a numeric value and are given here in their usual positions. One character, GOTHIC LETTER EIS WITH DIAERESIS, should not be decomposed and is given here for compatibility with a large number of Gothic fonts currently available.

Issues

 Spelling of the Gothic character names must be verified.

Two columns are required to encode Gothic. The Gothic block is divided into the following ranges: 

	U+0001 0000 -> U+001B	Gothic letters
	U+0001 001C -> U+001E	Gothic punctuation
	U+0001 001F		currently unassigned

References

Names and code table

 
000	0001 0000	GOTHIC LETTER AHSA
001	0001 0001	GOTHIC LETTER BAIRKAN
002	0001 0002	GOTHIC LETTER GIBA
003	0001 0003	GOTHIC LETTER DAGS
004	0001 0004	GOTHIC LETTER AIHVUS
005	0001 0005	GOTHIC LETTER QAIRTHRA
006	0001 0006	GOTHIC LETTER IUJA
007	0001 0007	GOTHIC LETTER HAGL
008	0001 0008	GOTHIC LETTER THIUTH
009	0001 0009	GOTHIC LETTER EIS
010	0001 000A	GOTHIC LETTER EIS WITH DIAERESIS
011	0001 000B	GOTHIC LETTER KUSMA
012	0001 000C	GOTHIC LETTER LAGUS
013	0001 000D	GOTHIC LETTER MANNA
014	0001 000E	GOTHIC LETTER NAUTHS
015	0001 000F	GOTHIC LETTER JER
016	0001 0010	GOTHIC LETTER URUS
017	0001 0011	GOTHIC LETTER PAIRTHRA
018	0001 0012	GOTHIC LETTER NINETY
019	0001 0013	GOTHIC LETTER RAIDA
020	0001 0014	GOTHIC LETTER SAUIL
021	0001 0015	GOTHIC LETTER TEIWS
022	0001 0016	GOTHIC LETTER WINJA
023	0001 0017	GOTHIC LETTER FAIHU
024	0001 0018	GOTHIC LETTER IGGWS
025	0001 0019	GOTHIC LETTER HWAIR
026	0001 001A	GOTHIC LETTER OTHAL
027	0001 001B	GOTHIC LETTER NINE HUNDRED
028	0001 001C	(This position shall not be used)
029	0001 001D	(This position shall not be used)
030	0001 001E	(This position shall not be used)
031	0001 001F	(This position shall not be used)
Michael Everson, Evertype, Dublin, 2001-09-21