Re: Fwd: Malayalam & SF_PROCESS_ZWJ

["Praveen A" <pravi a gmail com>]

2007/6/20, Mahesh T. Pai <paivakil gmail com>:
> When this was pointed out in  the Unicode indic list, the response was
> to  encode the chillus,  which was  opposed by  a section  of Language
> experts, stating  that a ``foreign  body'' like UTC cannot  change the
> Malayalam characters.

Mahesh, you are giving a totally wrong reason for opposing encoding
chillus. It may be how you perceive it but the fact are different. I
don't want to extend the flame wars into this  also.

But the issues AFAIK are

1) backwards compatibility
2) dual encoding
3) collation order

Also the current issue is similar to "case folding" in case of IDN.
You might remember the examples Rajiv gave opposing the atomic
encoding.

"PenIsland" and "PenisLand". Ignoring ZWJ will have only this effect
for Malayalam (which is already there in latin).

> Whatever that be,  the current position is that  the chillu characters
> are  in the  pipeline,  for  inclusion in  the  next (post  5.whatever
> version  we have  now) revision.  Once this  is adopted  formally, our
> headache would be to how to deal with legacy data.

It would bring a whole lot of issues just to satisfy some peoples
egos. Do you have an answer to the case folding argument?

> The earlier UTS  was ambiguous on the issue of  using ZWJs, for chillu
> rendering and different parties applied their own interpretations.

AFAIK both parties on the chillu debate have accepted
<consonant><halant>ZWJ as the chillu. Both Rachana and Anjali follow
this.
> I have serious doubts about  use of zwj/zwnjs in non-chillu context in
> Malayalam.

ZWNJ is absolutely essential to prevent Malayalam conjunct formation
rules for adopted words and names like "hard_ware" and "tamizh_nadu".
If we are going to get rid of the ZWNJ we will have to encode all the
"non-joining conjuncts".
> Can  any  body point  out  a  requirement for  use  of  zwj/zwnj in  a
> non-chilu context in Malayalam (and abesnce/presence of zw[n]j causing
> a meaning difference)?

As for examples, I have give two above, even though you could infer
the meaning it would be awkward rendering.

Please think of the language above the egos, once the chillus are
encoded it is going to remain for eternity and the new problems that
it brings. You might want to talk some of the people like Ralminov who
were earlier supporting atomic chillus but have changed there stands
after understanding the reasons.

Cheers
Praveen
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