From c388bf1701a4af8fd80e3167e4d33b5ff68b2554 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: la-ninpre Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2025 23:10:25 +0300 Subject: day 01: added ukarpangooth initial description, no images yet --- decadv-2025.html | 15 ++++++- ukarpanghooth.html | 123 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 137 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 ukarpanghooth.html diff --git a/decadv-2025.html b/decadv-2025.html index 33bf9ae..f4538ad 100644 --- a/decadv-2025.html +++ b/decadv-2025.html @@ -24,7 +24,20 @@

in particular, i want not only to document each writing system, but to make a computer font for each one.

the log

-

nothing here yet, come back tomorrow.

+

2025-12-01

+

started working on ukarpanghooth description. couldn't do images today, sorry...

+

also came up with a rough scheme on how to make each font:

+
    +
  1. draw each glyph and glyph variant (inkscape)
    2. +
  2. save glyphs as individual svg files
    3. +
  3. load glyphs (fontforge)
    4. +
  4. tweak position and size (fontforge)
    5. +
  5. export as ufo (fontforge)
    6. +
  6. add opentype fea
    7. +
  7. compile (fontmake/fontc)
    8. +
  8. test (browser, libreoffice, harfbuzz, pango), looping back to 1-7 as needed
    9. +
  9. verify metadata and upload
    10. +
diff --git a/ukarpanghooth.html b/ukarpanghooth.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dfbefa2 --- /dev/null +++ b/ukarpanghooth.html @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ + + + + + + ukarpanghooth — aaoth.xyz + + + +
+

ukarpanghooth

+

overview

+ +

the first writing system i'm going to talk about is ukarpanghooth +(meaning 'angular cut', IPA: /ɤ.kaɾ.pan.ɡʱə.uːtʰ/). it was actually +my first attempt to create a writing system. it's main purpose was just +to be unreadable by others (steganography? security by obscurity?).

+ +

description

+ +

this is a simple alphabetic script based on latin alphabet. some +letter shapes are also influenced by runic scripts. the first version +(proto-ukarpangooth) was actually very similar to the latin alphabet, +so later it was modified, as an attempt to make it more unique and more +obscure. words are separated by a special symbol, so that sentences are +written together as one piece.

+ + + +

there is one interesting aspect about it is the order and direction in +which it is written. initially it was done the usual way (well... for +some), right-to-left, top-to-bottom. then i came up with something +creative, writing it in groups of four letters in a square (top-right, +bottom-right, bottom-left, top-left). if the number of letters in a +sentence isn't divisible by four, letters are stretched to fit into +square shape. there also instances of it written snake-shaped, turning +by 90 degrees after each word.

+ + + +

the name of the script suggests that one can cut it on something +(wood, stone, etc.), as only straight line segments are used.

+ +

usage

+ +

as mentioned before, script's main purpose was to hide some information +(i once used it to cheat on a test in a physics class :D). mainly i +wrote english text. some time later i used it to write my unfinished +conlang named aihnth (IPA: /a.ji.ən.tʰə/).

+ +

the script has some ornamental potential, as its glyphs are pretty +simple and use only straight lines.

+ + + +

font

+ +

actually, at first, i didn't think that it would be possible +to replicate this script's peculiar writing order in a computer +font. however, after reading some specs, decompiling some fonts and +experiments i've found a way to do it.

+ +

open-type features allow two things: substitution (GSUB) and position +(GSUB) of glyphs. basically, we need to have three versions of each +letter: full size, half size and quarter size. then we substitute runs +of four letters with four quarter sized ones, three letters with two +quarters and one half, and, finally, two letters with two halves. the +only thing left is to use contextual postitioning to move each component +where it needs to be.

+ +
+
+@full = [a b c]; # full-size letters
+@half = [a.half b.half c.half]; # half-size letters
+@qrtr = [a.qrtr b.qrtr c.qrtr]; # quarter-size letters
+
+# helper lookups
+lookup full2qrtr {
+	sub @full by @qrtr;
+} full2qrtr;
+lookup full2half {
+	sub @full by @half;
+};
+
+# main substitution lookup
+lookup charBlock {
+	sub @full' lookup full2qrtr @full' lookup full2qrtr @full' lookup full2qrtr @full' lookup full2qrtr;
+	sub @full' lookup full2qrtr @full' lookup full2qrtr @full lookup full2half;
+	sub @full' lookup full2half @full' lookup full2half;
+} charBlock;
+
+
+ +
+ + \ No newline at end of file -- cgit v1.2.3