Directory language/tamil/palladam

Palladam Tamil Font, Version 2.1

All versions Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 T. Govindaraj
                     +1 404 325 7446, tg@chmsr.gatech.edu

File name: Palladam2.1.Readme, 92.2.9, 9:00 Hrs, EST.

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Changes in version 2.1

1. Since we do not have cases in Tamil script, I use lower case
   letters on the QWERTY keyboard for the consonants in their basic
   form and for vowels. <shift>-letter now has a different meaning.
   For vowels, <shift>-letter gives you the same Tamil letter as
   before (i.e., <shift>a = ah). For consonants, <shift>-letter
   now gives the corresponding Tamil letter + u, i.e., <shift>r =
   "ru". (In Version 1, you had to type <option>r for "ru".)

   <option>-letter now gives you the corresponding Tamil letter +
   u_, i.e., <option>r = "roo", as in Roopa.

   Unfortunately some letters still require <shift><option>-letter
   to get the " + u_" combination. This is due to the way Apple
   maps the keys.

   I have removed braces {} and replaced them with "nu" (as in
   Bhanu) and "nnu" (as in Anu for atom). The longer forms of
   these consonants with u and u_ are available with <option>-
   or <shift><option>-letter. While I lost two characters, the
   change makes the typing more consistent.

2. You can now get the dot on the consonant either by typing "f"
   or by typing back quote as before.

3. You can now get the backslash to produce the same thing as the
   <option>-6. (This is the "kahll" that you get when a consonant
   combines with "a_".) I assume that the loss of backslash to make
   it easy to use a frequently used symbol won't cause too many
   problems. You now have two ways of generating the symbol.

   Thank you, M. Thavarajah, for suggesting some of these changes.
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Instructions included with the original version (July 1990) are
given below. Recent changes are given at the end.
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Instructions for use of the font on a Macintosh computer (July 1990)

(The Key Map file shows the mappings of the keys and uses Courier and
Palladam fonts.)

Palladam.bmap contains the bitmaps. Use Font/DA Mover to add the
Palladam Tamil Font to your System.

Drag the icon that shows the number 1 (on a sheet of paper at an angle)
on top of a laser printer (with the name Palla) into the System Folder
for use by PostScript-compatible printer.

Notes and Suggestions

Please see the file Palladam.Copyright for a brief history and
copyright information.

"Palladam" was developed using Fontographer, which generates the
bitmaps as well as the necessary PostScript files.

The screen bitmap fonts are not very "pretty". However, they print
nicely on a laser printer. They should also print reasonably well on
an Imagewriter. For ease of use while you are in a word processor, I
recommend that you type using Size 18, and print using Size 10 or
12. (The letters of the same size look larger for Palladam than for
other fonts. Therefore, size 12, for instance, requires more space
than a size 12 Courier or other font. This has not been a problem
for me. I normally print in 10 or 12 size, and use 1 1/2 spacing.)

I do have a bitmap font (written using Fontastic Plus) that I may
decide to distribute (under the same conditions, free) after I fix
some inconsistencies. That font "looks" nicer on the screen.

Keyboard mappings

Tamil letters have been mapped to English letters by sound and/or type
(vowels or consonants).  While I have mapped most letters to letters
normally used for them, (e.g., z for zh), the letters Q, W, X, and B
(as well as [ and ]) have been used somewhat arbitrarily.  My
justification is that I had to find some letters and the ones I found
were the most convenient.

Back quote (`) is used for the dot required for the consonants.

Option and Shift Option keys are used to represent the conjugations
of consonants with vowels.

Option-<number> are used for most combinations, with Option-7 and
Option-8 used for (d + i) and (d + i_) respectively.
Option-1,2,3,4,5,6,and 9 are used for the additions required for
i, i_, e, e_, ai, a_, and ai (traditional form).

Option-<letter> is used for the combination <consonant + u>, with
exceptions shown above (nu as in Bhanu = option [ (try [[ if a
single [ does nothing),  nu as in anu (atom) = option-/,
nu as in nurai (foam) = shift-option-n).

Shift-Option-<letter> is used for the combination <consonant + u_>,
with the exception shown above (nu_ as in nu_l (book, thread) =
shift-option-o).

Some words and symbols have been adapted from the following sources.

Kazhakath Thamizh Agarathi, June 1985

T. Burrow and M. B. Emeneau (1984). A Dravidian Etymological Dictionary,
Second Edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford.


a	(amma / mother)	a		(option a = +a; +a = kaal)
a_	(a_lamaram / banyan)	sh a	A	(a_ = a underbar)
i	(ilai / leaf)	i
i_	(i_ / fly)	sh i	I
u	(ural / mortar)	u
u_	(u_si / needle)	sh u	U
e	(eli / rat)	e
e_	(e_ni / ladder)	sh e	E
ai	(aindhu / 5)	option i i
o	(ottakam / camel)	o
o_	(o_nayy / wolf)	sh o	O
au	(auvvai / the poetess)	option i o

ah	(ehhu / steel)	f

k	(kappal / ship)	k
ng	(singam / lion)	g
c	(sangu / conch)	c
n~	(gnayiru / sun)	w
t.	(padam / picture)	d
n	(kinaru / well)	]	* (option /)
th	(thavalai / frog)	t
n	(nandu / crab)	n	* (sh opt n = nu; sh op o = nuu)
p	(pambaram / top)	p
m	(mayil / peacock)	m
y	(yanai / elephant)	y
r	(raja / king)	r
l	(valai / net)	l
v	(vandi / cart)	v
zh	(pazham / fruit)	z
l..	(vilakku / lamp	q	(l over one or two dots)
rr	(paravai / bird)	b
n	(maan / deer)	[	* (option [ [)

h	(hari)	h
j	(raja)	j
s	(swami)	s
sh	(shankara)	x
xsh	(laxshmi)	none

Trademark Inforamtion

       Imagewriter, LaserWriter, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer.
       Fontographer and Fontastic Plus are  trademarks of Altsys Corporation.
       PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.

Acknowledgements

The incentive for writing this font has been my mother. She never
asked that I write her using a computer, but I wanted to do it
anyway! Though my folks would prefer to see my handwriting rather
than some mechanized version of it, they have gotten used to it and
even seem to like it (or not mind it). I thank everyone in my
family, in the US and in India. They deserve all the credit, and I
accept any blame (or is it the other way around?!).
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Note added on 92.2.9

I have created a mailing list called tamil-palladam. This mailing
list is unmoderated. This list is intended for discussions relevant
to the "Palladam" Tamil font. 

You can post articles to the mailing list by sending them directly
to tamil-palladam@isye.gatech.edu.

Please send mail to tamil-palladam-request@isye.gatech.edu if you
would like to get on/off the mailing list. Do not send any mail to
the entire mailing list (i.e., tamil-palladam@isye.gatech.edu)
unless you want everybody on the list to receive a copy.
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