The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL APRIL/MAY The Linguist 19 ONLINE INCLUSION works with users on the critical first step for script support on computers and devices: getting the letters and symbols into Unicode. SEI acts as an intermediary between users who want their script in Unicode and the Unicode Technical Committee that approves new scripts, providing a voice to communities that can be overlooked. Because the script approval process is rather opaque, SEI explains the multiple steps involved, guides authors on the elements required for a script proposal, and shepherds proposals through the standards committees to approval. To date, it has helped to get more than 90 scripts into Unicode, including Balinese, Javanese, Bamum, Adlam and N'Ko. But more work needs to be done: although Unicode now includes 159 scripts, over 150 are not yet in Unicode. Of the 150 unencoded scripts, about 60 are in modern usage, mostly found in Africa and Asia. The other unencoded scripts are employed for historical scripts or liturgical use. The importance of recognition Getting a script into the Unicode Standard can provide it with international recognition. When the Hanifi Rohingya script was published in Unicode in 2018, Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, said that with Rohingya script in Unicode "our identity and culture will be preserved for the future". In Unicode, the list of scripts shows Hanifi Rohingya script as having equal status alongside other scripts, a signal that it doesn't have second-class status. While Rohingya can also be written with the Latin and Arabic scripts, the Hanifi Rohingya script was created specifically for the language by members of the community, and represents an important symbol of identity and pride. With Unicode, text materials in Hanifi Rohingya should be able to be stored in a stable format (Unicode) and be findable via search engines. If the script were not in Unicode, locating such materials would be difficult – perhaps impossible – and the digital footprint of the Rohingya culture and its people, as captured in the Hanifi Rohingya script, could be lost. Getting modern-use scripts into Unicode will, hopefully, lead to their long-term survival – critical in a world where the major and national scripts (and the languages using them) tend to dominate, causing lesser-used scripts and languages to languish and possibly die. In Nepal, for example, some young people are choosing to attend schools with English or Nepali instruction to advance their careers, eschewing schools where instruction is in the local language. Unfortunately, this can lead to further language (and script) loss. Providing access to lesser-used scripts on social media may offer a lifeline, particularly for use by younger generations. Users of the Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong script, used primarily in the US, are waiting for the script to become available on electronic devices for texting and social media across all platforms. This will help to give the script, and the Hmong language, a boost among the younger population in the US and beyond. What happens next? Although the role of SEI is focused on getting scripts into Unicode, the project maintains contact with communities, typically explaining the next steps that lead to implementation on computers and devices. After a script gets in Unicode, many users anxiously await its appearance on mobile devices. Unfortunately, getting a new script and its language to appear and work as expected on mobile devices can take several years. To give an example of the timeframe, it took about 10 years from publication in Unicode until the N'Ko script of West Africa was supported on Android mobile devices. The delay in implementing new scripts can be due to several factors. Devices need to have Unicode-based fonts and keyboards, and then companies need to implement these on devices. Because lesser-used scripts tend to be found in smaller communities with less financial clout, companies may not prioritise work on them. Also newly implemented scripts often require the latest operating systems, which may require users to purchase new devices – another hurdle for communities that often have less disposable income. Having a script in Unicode and supported on computers and devices should make it easy to create text data. Having a large volume of such data can lead to the development of machine learning tools that could aid work by corpus linguists, for example, though the amount of data would likely be much less than that available for major global languages. Nevertheless, it is hoped that for translators and linguists, the benefits of being able to easily send, receive, archive and search a language and its script should make their work easier, thanks in part to Unicode and the SEI project. A LONG WAIT The Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong script (right) is now included in Unicode but still can't be used on all devices and platforms, so users of the script continue to wait (main image)

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