HUGOYE: JOURNAL OF SYRIAC STUDIES
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HUGOYE: JOURNAL OF SYRIAC STUDIES |
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Vol. 3, No. 2 July 2000 |
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SPECIAL ISSUE: Michael the Syrian |
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Issue Index Home Volume Index Search Editorial Board Copyright & Citing Submission Transliteration Links Hugoye Email Group SyrCOM |
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PROJECT REPORT Meltho: OpenType Fonts for Windows 2000
George KIRAZ [1] The Syriac Computing Institute (SyrCOM) has been working to add Syriac support for Microsofts Windows™ 2000. Syriac is now in the list of languages that will be supported by the next version of Microsoft Office™ (Word™, Access™, PowerPoint™, etc.). Already, the web browser Internet Explorer™ 5 supports Syriac. All this is possible provided the user has the appropriate (not any) Syriac fonts. [2] Project Meltho aims to provide freely the appropriate Syriac fonts for the Syriac-users community. In the last issue of Hugoye, a call for financial assistance was published. The response was over-whelming. Over 15 fonts are under development. SyrCOM has released a beta version of the fonts for testing purposes. Users interested in testing the software should contact George Kiraz at gkiraz@DirecPC.com. [3] The fonts are in Estrangelo, Serto (West Syriac), and East Syriac. They provide support not only to texts in Classical Syriac, but also in Garshuni (Arabic written in Syriac), Swadaya (Eastern Neo-Aramaic of the Assyrian and Chaldean communities), Turoyo (Central Neo-Aramaic of the Syriac Orthodox communities of Tur Abdin), and Christian Palestinian Aramaic. The aim is to provide a system that is useful for the scholarly community as well as to the heirs of the tradition. [4] The artwork of the fonts is based on printing types and old manuscripts. The typographical design was commissioned to an outstanding firm, made possible by generous donations from the Syriac Orthodox and Assyrian communities, as well as Western scholars and universities. It is the contribution of these fine individuals and institutions (both sacred and secular) that made this project possible. A full list of donors will be published with the release of the software. [5] The following image gives a number of Syriac fonts in Microsoft Word 2000. The fonts (in verse order): 1a Estrangelo Edessa, based on the popular Estrangelo type used in printed editions; 1b Estrangelo Nisibin, based on types used in the press of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mosul; 1c Estrangelo Midyat, based on a manuscript at Mor Gabriel Monastery, Tur cAbdin (formerly Manuscript 64/1 of Mort Shmuni Church in Midyat), dated 1226/7; 2 Serto Kharput, based on types used at the former press in Leipzig (among other places); 3 East Syriac Adiabene, based on types used in the press of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mosul; 4 Serto Mardin, based on types used in many Middle Eastern presses, including The Syriac Orthodox presses of Deir al-Zacfaran, Mardin, and St. Marks Monastery, Jerusalem, and the Syriac Catholic press at Charfeh; 5 Serto Qezhayya (named after the first Syriac press in the Middle East), based on types also used at presses in the Middle East and Europe; 6 Estrangelo Antioch, based on Manuscript 12/21 of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Library, Damascus, dated A.D. 1041/2.
[6] Other East Syriac, Serto and Estrangelo fonts are under development, pending funds. Donors who are interested in adopting fonts are encouraged to send their contributions to George Kiraz, 46 Orris Ave., Piscataway, 08854. (Please make checks payable to The Syriac Computing Institute). |
