Tibetan (Unicode block)

Last updated
Tibetan
RangeU+0F00..U+0FFF
(256 code points)
Plane BMP
Scripts Tibetan (207 char.)
Common (4 char.)
Major alphabetsTibetan
Dzongkha
Assigned211 code points
Unused45 reserved code points
2 deprecated
Unicode version history
2.0 (1996)168 (+168)
3.0 (1999)193 (+25)
4.1 (2005)195 (+2)
5.1 (2008)201 (+6)
5.2 (2009)205 (+4)
6.0 (2010)211 (+6)
Unicode documentation
Code chart ∣ Web page
Note: [1] [2]
When unifying with ISO 10646, the original Tibetan block was removed in Unicode 1.0.1. [3] The current block (with a new encoding model and a different range) was introduced in version 2.0.

Tibetan is a Unicode block containing characters for the Tibetan, Dzongkha, and other languages of China, Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia, northern India, eastern Pakistan and Russia.

Contents

Block

Tibetan [1] [2] [3]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+0F0x
 NB 
U+0F1x
U+0F2x
U+0F3x༿
U+0F4x
U+0F5x
U+0F6x
U+0F7xཿ
U+0F8x
U+0F9x
U+0FAx
U+0FBx྿
U+0FCx
U+0FDx
U+0FEx
U+0FFx
Notes
1. ^ As of Unicode version 15.1
2. ^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points
3. ^ Unicode code points U+0F77 and U+0F79 are deprecated in Unicode 5.2 and later

Former Tibetan block

Tibetan (Unicode 1.0.0)
RangeU+1000..U+104F
(80 code points)
Plane BMP
Scripts Tibetan
Major alphabetsTibetan
Dzongkha
Status Deleted prior to the release of Unicode 2.0
Now occupied by Myanmar
Unicode version history
1.0.0 (1991)71 (+71)
1.0.1 (1992)0 (-71)
Chart
Code chart
Note: When unifying with ISO 10646, the original Tibetan block was deleted in Unicode 1.0.1. [3] Tibetan was later reintroduced with a new encoding model for Unicode 2.0.

The Tibetan Unicode block is unique for having been allocated in version 1.0.0 with a virama-based encoding that was unable to distinguish visible srog med and conjunct consonant correctly. [note 1] This encoding was removed from the Unicode Standard in version 1.0.1 in the process of unifying with ISO 10646 for version 1.1, [3] then reintroduced as an explicit root/subjoined encoding, with a larger block size, in version 2.0. Moving or removing existing characters has been prohibited by the Unicode Stability Policy for all versions following Unicode 2.0, so the Tibetan characters encoded in Unicode 2.0 and all subsequent versions are immutable.

The range of the former Unicode 1.0.0 Tibetan block has been occupied by the Myanmar block since Unicode 3.0. In Microsoft Windows, collation data referring to the old Tibetan block was retained as late as Windows XP, and removed in Windows 2003. [4]

Tibetan (Unicode 1.0.0) [1] [2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)
 0123456789ABCDEF
U+100x
U+101x
U+102xཿ
U+103x
U+104x
Notes
  1. ^ As of Unicode version 1.0.0. Characters are shown by means of corresponding code points in Unicode 2.0 and all subsequent versions.
  2. ^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

History

The following Unicode-related documents record the purpose and process of defining specific characters in the Tibetan block:

Footnotes

  1. In most Unicode Indic encodings, although one can force the system to display a visible halanta by using the zero-width non-joiner (ZWNJ) or force the use of a non‑conjunct joining form using the zero-width joiner (ZWJ), there is no method to force a conjunct consonant rendering, which is crucial when writing Tibetan. Some exceptions exist: for instance, Sinhala uses ZWJ to force a conjunct.

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References

  1. "Unicode character database". The Unicode Standard. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. "Enumerated Versions of The Unicode Standard". The Unicode Standard. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  3. 1 2 3 "Unicode 1.0.1 Addendum" (PDF). The Unicode Standard. 1992-11-03. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  4. Kaplan, Michael (2007-08-28). "Every character has a story #29: U+1000^H^H^H^H0f40, (TIBETAN or MYANMAR LETTER KA, depending on when you ask)". Sorting it all out.