Should we create a [syr] tag?

Questions and discussion about B-Hebrew policies or the B-Hebrew forum.
talmid56
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Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by talmid56 »

I will start learning Syriac soon, so I think a tag would be helpful. For those like me who are new to the script though, it would be helpful if users included some transliteration along with the Syriac, or a transcription in square script along with individual words/phrases.
Dewayne Dulaney
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Blog: https://letancientvoicesspeak.wordpress.com/

כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ׀ וּמָגֵן֮ יְהוָ֪ה אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֣ן וְ֭כָבוֹד יִתֵּ֣ן יְהוָ֑ה לֹ֥א יִמְנַע־ט֝֗וֹב לַֽהֹלְכִ֥ים בְּתָמִֽים׃
--(E 84:11) 84:12 תהלים
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Kirk Lowery
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Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Kirk Lowery »

The simplest and easiest implementation is something similar to Jason's suggestion:

Code: Select all

<span style='font-size: 130%; line-height: 130%; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: bidi-override;'>…</span>
Here is the text without any special formatting. Is this readable for you?
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

So here is a verse of Peshitta using this code in a tag, letting the OS solve the font issues:
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

The text without the tag looks okay, but is small and hard to read. Using Jason's code, the tag makes the text larger and -- to my eyes -- comfortably readable.

You'll note that your full editor now has the "syr" button which will insert the start and end tags for you. You can, of course, simply type the tags yourself.

I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.
Kirk E. Lowery, PhD
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Kirk Lowery
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Re: Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Kirk Lowery »

Kirk Lowery wrote:I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.
I checked my up-to-date Windows 10 box, my Ubuntu 17.10 virtual machine, my iPad III (both Chrome and Safari) and my Android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S5). While there are some variations in relative size display, I found no issues.

Unless I hear screams from the membership, I'm going to declare the "syr" tag in beta. I'd like to avoid requiring a specific font or messing with server-side fonts if I can.

My next post will contain some usage tips.
Kirk E. Lowery, PhD
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Kirk Lowery
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Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Kirk Lowery »

talmid56 wrote:I will start learning Syriac soon, so I think a tag would be helpful. For those like me who are new to the script though, it would be helpful if users included some transliteration along with the Syriac, or a transcription in square script along with individual words/phrases.


This is always courteous: think of your readers and how to make your communication clear and relevant. We cannot expect that everyone will have studied Syriac (or other ancient near eastern languages).

On the other hand, we are devoted to the study of ancient Hebrew. We should expect forum members to be able to read the Hebrew script, both vocalized with unvocalized. Yes, transliteration of Hebrew text is sometimes helpful in a particular discussion. But as a general rule, we should encourage everyone to master the alphabetic basics.
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Jason Hare
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Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Jason Hare »

Kirk,

It all looks fantastic to me. I think most systems now are equipped to handle the whole Unicode standard in their default fonts. It's not always pretty, but it's always there (are there exceptions?).

Thanks for the tag. :)

Yours,
Jason

ܝܫܪ ܚܝܠܟ
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Jason Hare
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S_Walch
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Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by S_Walch »

Agreed. The tag is working fine for me as well.

Much easier to read :)
Ste Walch
Jemoh66
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Re: Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Jemoh66 »

Kirk Lowery wrote:The simplest and easiest implementation is something similar to Jason's suggestion:

Code: Select all

<span style='font-size: 130%; line-height: 130%; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: bidi-override;'>…</span>
Here is the text without any special formatting. Is this readable for you?
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

So here is a verse of Peshitta using this code in a tag, letting the OS solve the font issues:
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

The text without the tag looks okay, but is small and hard to read. Using Jason's code, the tag makes the text larger and -- to my eyes -- comfortably readable.

You'll note that your full editor now has the "syr" button which will insert the start and end tags for you. You can, of course, simply type the tags yourself.

I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.
Looks good in my iPhone
Jonathan E Mohler
Studying for a MA in Intercultural Studies
Baptist Bible Theological Seminary
talmid56
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Location: Carlisle, Arkansas, USA

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by talmid56 »

Also looks good both on Windows 7 running Chrome (work computer) and Mac OS X 10.11 running Safari on MacBookPro (home). The text with the tag is easier on my eyes, too. My eyes aren't quite as young as Jason's (will be age 62 in January and wear bifocals), so the bigger size is welcome. ;)
Dewayne Dulaney
דואיין דוליני

Blog: https://letancientvoicesspeak.wordpress.com/

כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ׀ וּמָגֵן֮ יְהוָ֪ה אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֣ן וְ֭כָבוֹד יִתֵּ֣ן יְהוָ֑ה לֹ֥א יִמְנַע־ט֝֗וֹב לַֽהֹלְכִ֥ים בְּתָמִֽים׃
--(E 84:11) 84:12 תהלים
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