2409:4052:99A:5E56:444D:60D9:1E5E:BDE5 at 17:22, 25 January 2021

2021-01-25T17:22:42Z

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{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
{{brahmic}}

'''<span lang="English" dir="ltr">Clip</span> fonts''' or '''split fonts'''{{citation needed|reason=A reliable source verifying the use of these terms are needed|date=November 2014}} are non-[[Unicode]] [[font]]s that assign [[Brahmic scripts in Unicode|glyphs of Brahmic scripts]], such as [[Devanagari]], at [[Unicode|code positions]] intended for [[Latin script in Unicode|glyphs of the Latin script]] or to produce glyphs not found in Unicode by using its [[Private Use Area]] (PUA).
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==Comparison==
[[File:Clip font display.png|thumb|'''Top''': A Devanagari consonant is produced using two parts (''clips'') in a clip font whereas Unicode uses the single glyph ‘घ‘.<br>'''Bottom''': A conjunct [[Typographic ligature|ligature]] is produced in Unicode by ‘घ’ and ‘य’ separated by the [[Virama|halant]] and [[zero-width joiner]] characters to form ‘घ्य’, whereas a clip font uses three parts (''clips'')]]

[[Brahmic scripts]] have an inherent vowel without attached [[diacritic]]s. [[Vowel]]s (excluding the inherent vowel) that immediately follow a consonant are written as a diacritic. For example, a Devanagari consonant in ‘base form’ in Unicode is ‘घ’ /ɡʱə/ where the inherent vowel is ‘अ’ /ə/. If the vowel ‘आ’ /aː/ were to follow this Devanagari consonant, then the ‘ा’ diacritic is attached resulting in ‘घा’. Consonants that are a part of [[Devanagari#Conjuncts|conjunct clusters]] may assume a conjunct form such as ‘घ्‍ ‘ in Devanagari.<ref name=":0"/>

=== Consonant–consonant clusters ===
Devanagari consonants that are a part of [[Devanagari#Conjuncts|conjunct clusters]] (except for the final consonant in a conjunct cluster, which is in its ‘base form’) are followed by the [[Virama|halant]] and [[Zero-width joiner|zero-with joiner]] characters. For example, ‘घ्य’ /ɡʱjə/ is formed by ‘घ’, followed by the halant diacritic,

=== Clip fonts ===

==== Consonant–vowel clusters ====
In clip fonts the ‘base form’ of a character is the conjunct form such as ‘घ्‍ ’ in Devanagari and diacritics are added to indicate that the consonant is immediately followed by a vowel (including the inherent vowel). For example, a Devanagari consonant in ‘base form’ in a clip font is ‘घ्‍ ’ /ɡʱ/. If the inherent vowel ‘अ’/ə/ were to follow this Devanagari consonant, then the ‘ा’ diacritic would be attached to it resulting in ‘घ’. Vowels that are not the inherent ‘अ’ /ə/ such as ‘आ’ /aː/ that follow this Devanagari consonant, then the ‘ा’ diacritic attaches twice, resulting in ‘घा’ with a Latin script representation of ‘Gaa’.<ref name = MrTy>{{Cite web|url = http://marathi.indiatyping.com/index.php/marathi-keyboard|title = <nowiki>Marathi Typing Keyboard | Kiran | Inscript | Phonetic Keyboard.html</nowiki>|date = |accessdate = 2 December 2014|website = Marathi Typing|publisher = |last = |first = |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626192201/http://marathi.indiatyping.com/index.php/marathi-keyboard|archivedate=26 June 2014}}</ref><ref name= MarTy>{{Cite web|url = http://www.marathityping.com/kiran-font-true-type-font/|title = Marathi Typing - free marathi fonts, free marathi typing software|date = 1 December 2010|accessdate = 2 December 2014|website = Marathi Typing|publisher = |last = |first = |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630131336/http://www.marathityping.com/kiran-font-true-type-font/|archivedate=30 June 2014}}</ref>

==== Consonant–consonant clusters ====
Devanagari consonants that are a part of [[Devanagari#Conjuncts|conjunct clusters]] are written consecutively in their ‘base forms’ (unless it is the last consonant in a conjunct cluster, which is in its ‘inherent vowel form’). For example, ‘घ्य’ /ɡʱjə/ is formed by ‘घ्‍ ’, followed by ‘य्‍ ’, and followed by the ‘ा’ diacritic with a Latin script representation of ‘Gya’.<ref name = MrTy/><ref name= MarTy/>

=== Tables comparing Unicode and clip fonts ===

==== The ‘घा’ ligature ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Consonant–Vowel Pairs
!‘base form’
!‘inherent vowel form’
!‘inherent vowel form’ + ‘vowel diacritic’
|-
|Brahmic script representation
of Unicode
|घ
|घ
|घ + ा = घा
|-
|Unicode Code Points<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0900.pdf|title = U0900.pdf|date = |accessdate = 2 December 2014|website = unicode.org|publisher = |last = |first = |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901145421/http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0900.pdf|archivedate=1 September 2014}}</ref>
|U+0918
|U+0918
|U+0918 U+093E
|-
|Brahmic script representation
of Clip fonts<ref name="MrTy" /><ref name="MarTy" />
|घ्‍
|घ्‍ + ा = घ
|घ्‍ + ा + ा = घा
|-
|Latin script representation
of Clip fonts<ref name="MrTy" /><ref name="MarTy" />
|G
|G + a = Ga
|G + a + a = Gaa
|}

==== The ‘घ्य’ ligature ====
{| class="wikitable"
!
Consonant–Vowel Pairs
!
‘base form of घ’
!
‘conjunct form of घ’
!
‘घ’ + ‘inherent vowel form of य’
|-
|Brahmic script representation of Unicode
|घ
|घ्‍
|घ्‍ + य = घ्य
|-
|Unicode Code Points<ref name=":0" />
|U+0918
|U+0918 U+094D U+200D
|U+0918 U+094D U+200D U+092F
|-
|Brahmic script representation

of Clip fonts<ref name="MrTy" /><ref name="MarTy" />
|घ्‍
|घ्‍
|घ्‍ + य्‍ + ा = घ्य
|-
|Latin script representation

of Clip fonts<ref name="MrTy" /><ref name="MarTy" />
|G
|G
|G + y + a = Gya
|}

=== Latin script characters ===
A computer assumes that text written with a clip font is in the Latin script. Thus, when the font is changed to another Latin script font that is not a clip font, the Latin script characters on the keys that were used to type the text are displayed instead of text in the original Brahmic script.<ref name="MrTy" /><ref name="MarTy" /> As a result, the clip font has to be available wherever text in Brahmic script is desired. Thus, clip fonts may not be uniformly compatible across computers and the Internet. This weakness is used as a kind of [[security by obscurity|encryption]].{{citation needed|reason=This claim needs a reliable source|date=November 2014}}

==Purpose and availability==
Clip fonts arose as a result of the perceived complexity of [[keyboard layout]] switching in common [[operating system]] setups, as well as defective [[internationalization]] capabilities in older software. English computer keyboards are common in India. Clip font users can easily write Hindi and other Indic languages using those keyboards. In India, people switch quickly among multiple languages and scripts.

At least 40 commercial clip fonts are available.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://marathi.indiatyping.com/index.php/download-marathi-font/|title = Marathi Typing - free marathi fonts, free marathi typing software|date = 1 December 2010|accessdate = 2 December 2014|website = Marathi Typing|publisher = |last = |first = |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626161540/http://marathi.indiatyping.com/index.php/download-marathi-font|archivedate=26 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.indiatyping.com/index.php/download/hindi-fonts|title = Hindi Font - Download free Hindi Font Devlys, Kruti Dev, Mangal and many Hindi font.html|date = |accessdate = 2 December 2014|website = India Typing|publisher = |last = |first = |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031185617/http://indiatyping.com/index.php/download/hindi-fonts|archivedate=31 October 2014}}</ref> With [[ASCII]], they are used by custom keyboard drivers for Indic scripts, intended to limit keystrokes. Such helper software often broke following operating system updates.

One of the popular clip fonts for Devanagari is [[Kiran fonts]] KF-Kiran,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kiranfont.com/ |title=Welcome to Kiranfont.com.html |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2 December 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031154146/http://www.kiranfont.com/|archivedate=31 October 2014}}</ref> because it does not require special software and can be used in older software.<ref name= MarTy/> Many users successfully ported this [[True Type]] font to operating systems such as [[Mac OS]], [[Linux]], some flavours of [[Unix]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]].

Clip fonts are sometimes used for scripts that are not yet encoded in Unicode. The "correct" way to handle these is to temporarily encode these in Unicode's [[Private Use Area]] (PUA). Users in India find that only English language keyboards are available.

== List of clip fonts ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* Aditi
* Agra
* Ajay
* Akhil
* Akrutidev
* Aman
* Amar Hindi
* Amar Ujala
* Ankit
* Anmol
* Anubhuti
* Arjun
* Aseem
* Atam
* Bharat Vani
* Bhaskar
* Chanakya
* Dadar
* DevLys
* Devnagari
* Gurbani
* Hemant
* Kanika
* [[Kiran fonts|Kiran]]
* Krishna
* [[Kruti Dev]]
* Lekhani
* Liza
* Lok
* Maya
* New Delhi
* Nutan
* Osho
* Priya
* Richa
* Saras
* Sharda
* Shivaji
* Surekh
* Vibha
* Yogesh
}}

==See also==
* [[Indic computing]]
* [[ISCII]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://freefontsstore.com/ Marathi and Hindi Calligraphy Fonts Free] are available under the section titled ‘2. Marathi Font, Hindi calligraphy fonts free for personal use’
* [https://marathifont.net/ 10000+ Marathi Fonts Download Free] are available under the section titled ‘1. Legacy Hindi Font’
* [http://www.typingbaba.com Hindi]
* [http://marathi.indiatyping.com/index.php/download-marathi-font/ Devanagari clip fonts] are available under the section titled ‘2. Marathi Typing Font’
* [http://www.indiatyping.com/index.php/download/hindi-fonts Devanagari clip fonts] are available under the section titled ‘1. Legacy Hindi Font’

[[Category:Devanagari typography]]
[[Category:Indic computing]]

Clip font - Revision history

2409:4052:99A:5E56:444D:60D9:1E5E:BDE5 at 17:22, 25 January 2021