Re: [Ietf-languages] Suggestion to update Urdu Script Designation in the subtag registry

[Doug Ewell <[e-mail]>]

For some of the styling scenarios Peter describes, I could imagine creating a BCP 47 extension, so taggers could write something like "fr-s-plaincap" or "fr-s-accntcap".

For the OP’s original scenario of Urdu in Nastaliq, I don’t have any issue with specifying “ur-Aran” when the choice of a Nastaliq font is considered important, especially since 'Aran' already exists. It's just not what Suppress-Script is for.

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Doug Ewell | Thornton, CO, US | ewellic.org


From: Ietf-languages <[e-mail]> On Behalf Of Peter Constable
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2020 10:30
To: r12a <[e-mail]>; [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [Ietf-languages] Suggestion to update Urdu Script Designation in the subtag registry

If typographic styles are to be indicated in a tag that is primarily intended to declare the _language_ of content, then what are the limits to that? 

For some languages written with Latin script, certain styles of fonts are preferred. For example, the Puyallup nature just south of where I live use fonts with a distinctive style. Should Puyallup content be marked up with a tag that includes something indicating that distinct style? If another language doesn’t normally use the Puyallup style fonts but some documents do, should those documents be tagged to indicate that style?

Or within a single language, there may be different typographic preferences. I’m sure you’re familiar with issues regarding accented capitals in French: one convention allows for them, while another convention would never have accented capitals. Do we need variant subtags to indicate such distinctions? Or take this a step further: there are lots of Latin ligatures that _could_ be used in a document but aren’t required. Should language tags reflect levels of ligation that are used?

Certainly there are stylistic preferences associated with some languages, such as Nastaliq for Urdu. (Mind, I suspect Urdu speakers wouldn’t expect or want a Nastaliq font to be used for UI strings on a phone.) I could perhaps see some benefit in having a way to qualify fonts for such distinctions, and to capture that language/style association as a default in something like CLDR. But aside from characterizing font resources, it’s not clear to me where is it would be beneficial to use ‘Aran’, either in a language tag or some other context.


Peter