[Biblical-languages] Greek apostrophe

Peter Kirk peter.r.kirk at ntlworld.com
Thu May 1 22:32:14 EDT 2003


In the Unicode database 1FBD is actually Koronis and looks the same as 1FBF Psili, and 1FFE is Dasia. From the code chart, http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F00.pdf:

1FBD ᾽ GREEK KORONIS
≈ 0020 _ 0313  ̓

1FFE ῾ GREEK DASIA
≈ 0020 _ 0314  ̔

But I agree that 2019 is a good choice, not least because it is already widely used, unless someone knows what I suspect, that 1FBD is actually intended to be the Greek apostrophe.
But I note that the in Keyman keyboard (GrkPolyCompv5.KMN) distributed with the Galatia SIL Greek Unicode Fonts (http://www.sil.org/computing/fonts/silgrkuni/) the apostrophe key actually generates 1FBF, although there is a comment 2019 on this line suggesting that this was used in a previous version. But this is almost certainly wrong. On the other hand, in the same package the conversion table SIL Galatia – Unicode.cct convert apostrophes to 1FBD, but the table SILGreek.map (probably the source of the text I have) converts to modifier_letter_apostrophe which is 02BC, and not included in the accomapnying font. I’ll copy this to the technical support people for this package.
Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk at ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
  
-----Original Message-----
From: biblical-languages-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:biblical-languages-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of biblang at ntresources.com
Sent: 01 May 2003 20:03
To: biblical-languages at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: RE: [Biblical-languages] Greek apostrophe

I *think* that 2019 is the right character for apostrophe regardless of language. 
1FBF, Psili (= smooth breathing) and 1FBD, Dasia (= rough breathing) are intended to be paired as breathing marks and it would be inappropriate to use either of these to indicate elision/apostrophe rather than breathing.
The Classical Greek keyboard (Lopez) for Keyman generates 2019. 
The Apostolic Fathers at ccel use 2019. (The text of these documents were entered manually using Unitype GlobalWriter.) 
Ralph Hancock's texts of LXX and NT use 2019 (though in spot checking, I found one Dasia--probably in error). 
==================================================== 
Rodney J. Decker, Th.D., Associate Prof/NT 
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, PA,USA 
NTResources.com  PURL: purl.oclc.org/NT_Resources/ 
Email: <rdecker> at <NTResources.com> 
==================================================== 
  
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Peter Kirk 
> [mailto:peter.r.kirk.at.ntlworld.com at biblang.at.ntresources.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 1:55 PM 
> To: biblical-languages at lists.ibiblio.org 
> Subject: [Biblical-languages] Greek apostrophe 
> 
> 
> Can anyone advise me which Unicode character should be used 
> for the Greek apostrophe, as in a phrase like AP' ARCHS? 
> There seem to be a number of 
> candidates: 
> 
> 0027 - the easy way out!; 
> 02BC - probably not as this is supposed to be a letter of the 
> alphabet; 1FBD - this is called KORONIS, which according to 
> Liddell and Scott (!) may mean "a flourish with the pen at 
> the end of a book: generally, the end, completion"; 1FBF - 
> probably not a this is called PSILI which seems to mean 
> smooth breathing; 2019 - Unicode's "preferred character for 
> apostrophe", but they may be thinking of Latin script here. 
> 
> Which codes are used in existing Unicode Greek texts? (One 
> text I have has 
> 02BC.) Which are supported in fonts? (In Galatia SIL, 0027 is 
> a straight apostrophe, 02BC is omitted, and the last three 
> have apparently identical glyphs looking like a smooth 
> breathing.) And which are generated by keyboards? 
> 
> Peter Kirk 
> peter.r.kirk at ntlworld.com 
> http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/ 




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