Ge'ez script

• U 1200- U 139 F
• U 2 D80 -U 2 DDF
• U U AB00 - AB2F

The Ethiopic script ( ግዕዝ Gə ʿ əz, simplified: Ge'ez ) is a syllabary ( abugida ), which has evolved from the himjarischen font. It is written, in contrast to the other Semitic writings from left to right. In Amharic and Tigrinya, both of which are written with this font, it is called Fidäl ( ፊደል ).

Originally a purely consonantal script, we added the font to a syllabary by the following vowel is represented by " appendage " ( diacritics ) on the left, right, top or bottom of the consonant. Linguists include the Ethiopic script as the Indian scriptures to Abugidas. It is not known whether and which ideas were adopted from India in shaping the Ethiopic script. A reverse influence is excluded, since the Indian scriptures are significantly older than the Ethiopian.

The Ethiopic script was systematized only in modern times. Its present form is systematically to a large extent. Originally created for the altäthiopische Ge'ez language, made ​​several modifications to character for the representation of modern languages ​​such as Amharic, Tigrinya and other languages. Moreover, some of the modifications of the basic characters are now uncommon and only by the etymological meaning.

The Ethiopic script is used today except for Amharic and Tigrinya nor for the Harari and some Gurage languages ​​in Ethiopia and for the Tigre in Eritrea. The Oromo is no longer written in Ethiopian, but in the Latin alphabet since 1991.

See also: Table of syllabic signs.

Encoding

Unicode encodes the Ethiopic script in the four Unicode blocks Ethiopian, Ethiopian, accessory, Ethiopian, Ethiopian and expanded, extended -A.