Medieval Unicode Font Initiative

A proposal for subranges within the Private Use Area of Unicode:
Supplements to the Latin alphabet for Medieval texts

 

Subrange 11. Metrical symbols: EA00 - EAFF

From a graphical point of view, metrical symbols can be divided into two categories:

(a) Symbols which typically are placed above ordinary characters, such as the breve and macron. The majority of these symbols are found in Unicode 3.2 in the range Combining Diacritical Marks. Several precomposed characters of this type are included in subrange 2 in sections F, G and J, such as "a with macron and breve", "a with macron and acute", etc.

(b) Symbols which appear as base line characters of their own, typically in metrical schemes. This is the type of symbols used by Eduard Sievers in his Altgermanische metrik (Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1893). These symbols are to my knowledge not included in Unicode 3.2. Some boundary symbols, such as single and double vertical lines, are included in Unicode. Cf. also the list of metrical symbols made by the Perseus project.

Comment 1: Andreas Heusler, Deutsche Versgeschichte, vol. 1 (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1956) adds a number of signs based on the same repertoire as Sievers's symbols, e.g. an upturned breve, double accents etc. They have (so far) not been included here.

Comment 2: Classical scholars use a number of metrical symbols not yet included here, cf. e.g. the list by David J. Perry. They should obviously be included.

Glyph

Entity

Unicode

Descriptive name

&anc;

EA00

METRICAL SYMBOL ANCEPS (*)

(*) This symbol is almost identical to the multiply symbol (00D7), but I believe that the anceps should be placed slightly lower, touching the base line and wholly within the x height of the font.

&ancac;

etc.

METRICAL SYMBOL ANCEPS WITH PRIMARY STRESS

&ancgr;

METRICAL SYMBOL ANCEPS WITH SECONDARY STRESS

&sht;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT SYLLABLE

&shtac;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT SYLLABLE WITH PRIMARY STRESS

&shtgr;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT SYLLABLE WITH SECONDARY STRESS

&lng;

METRICAL SYMBOL LONG SYLLABLE

&lngac;

METRICAL SYMBOL LONG SYLLABLE WITH PRIMARY STRESS

&lnggr;

METRICAL SYMBOL LONG SYLLABLE WITH SECONDARY STRESS

&shtlng;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT OR LONG SYLLABLE

&shtlngac;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT OR LONG SYLLABLE WITH PRIMARY STRESS

&shtlnggr;

METRICAL SYMBOL SHORT OR LONG SYLLABLE WITH SECONDARY STRESS

Version 1.0, 15 June 2002 OEH