Ain Yiddishe Font Traditional & Cursive Script

[Subotnick Ronald]

To Jewish Langauge Groups,
Regarding discussion of using tools to achieve results, I would like to use the Ain Yiddishe Fonts script inside the Mellel II Hebrew word processing program for the MAC. When translating Yiddish to English or writing Hebrew-Yiddish script on the computer, there are additional diacritical markings above some of the cursive letters that I have not found in other scripts. In order for me to use it, I would have to download or buy a Font Editor program and convert all the scripts to a Unicode value. I recently found the Katle Kanye blog on the internet from the Forward May 20th newspaper describing him as a possible Modern Sholom Aleichem. I noticed that he is using Hebrew-Yiddish cursive script that does not contain the extra markings found in the Ain Yiddishe Fonts script. From this observation, I have concluded that people reading his blog must be so familiar with the Yiddish words that they do not need the additional markings. My question is what are others doing who type Yiddish using cursive script? What are you using and how is it working? If it is a Unicode script, I should be able to install it on my MAC text and language settings as one of my choices provided there is an installment package that comes with the script. I am not a programmer and do not know how to install a program unless it comes with its own installment package. After it is installed, I would be able to use it in the Mellel II word processing program on my MAC.

Zay Gezunt,
Ron
PS Katle Kanye Forward article said: "He curses the creator of the confusing Hebrew language keyboard as a self-hating Jew." What I have noticed is that it is extremely difficult to type fast unless you leave out all the diacritical markings. Then you have to go back and insert them later. I would prefer a shift option keyboard that has extra letters with the markings already contained in a single key stroke. I could then use them only if I needed them. This would require many more option keyboard letters, but it would be easier to use once kinetically memorized.

[Tsvi Sadan]

> Regarding discussion of using tools to achieve results, I would like
> to use the Ain Yiddishe Fonts script inside the Mellel II Hebrew
> word processing program for the MAC. When translating Yiddish to
> English or writing Hebrew-Yiddish script on the computer, there are
> additional diacritical markings above some of the cursive letters
> that I have not found in other scripts.

Any Unicode-compliant font covering the Unicode Hebrew range does cover
digraphs and diacritics, which you can also combine, e.g.: אַ אָ ױ ײ ײַ.

Personally I find cursive script less easy to read on the screen, but
this is of course a matter of taste.

> In order for me to use it, I would have to download or buy a Font
> Editor program and convert all the scripts to a Unicode value. I
> recently found the Katle Kanye blog on the internet from the Forward
> May 20th newspaper describing him as a possible Modern Sholom
> Aleichem.

I've read this article. I'm also familiar with his blog for many years;
his is one of the first (and few existing) blogs in Yiddish.

> I noticed that he is using Hebrew-Yiddish cursive script that does
> not contain the extra markings found in the Ain Yiddishe Fonts
> script.

He simply doesn't use the standardized orthography of YIVO. I've noticed
that many people who follow it in their handwriting don't do so in
typing, simply because they don't know how to insert special digraphs
and diacritics of the Hebrew script. He may be one of them.

> My question is what are others doing who type Yiddish using cursive
> script?

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by "cursive script". Typing Yiddish
_mit ale pitshevkes_ doesn't have to be in a cursive script font, but it
concerns all the fonts.

> What are you using and how is it working?

Unfortunately, many people don't use special digraphs and diacritics for
a simple technical reason, and even many of those who take the trouble
of doing so seem to be using a rather unsophisticated method.

There are a number of tools for customizing your Hebrew keyboard that
comes with your operating system. Personally I used the following to
customize my Windows Hebrew keyboard so that I might be able to type
Hebrew diacritics and Yiddish-specific diacritics:
http://www.klm32.com/

There are some other alternatives for Windows. You can find a rather
exhaustive list of them on the following webpage:
http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/utilities_fonts.html

For Mac there are far less choices. My personal recommendation is the
following:
http://scripts.sil.org/ukelele

--
Tsvi Sadan (Tsuguya Sasaki)
Department of Hebrew and Semitic Languages
Bar-Ilan University
tsvi....@gmail.com
http://sites.google.com/site/tsvisadan/

[James Ward]

I agree with Tsvi's recommendation of the Ukelele keyboard editor. I have been able to modify a cyrillic keyboard to include the letters jat and fita, and an Icelandic keyboard to include the "o" with a little curl under it (whatever that's called).

At this point I'd probably have to relearn just _how_ to make the modifications, though...

James Ward

On May 31, 2011, at 8:55 PM, Tsvi Sadan wrote:

[snip]