Niji in Unicode
March 25, 2018
This document specifies the encoding of the Niji script within the Unicode Private Use Area and serves as the basis of its registration in the Under-ConScript Unicode Registry. At this point, the Niji script is not a candidate for encoding in the Unicode Standard because it doesn’t have a significant user base. For more information about the script, see The Niji Script.
Niji: U+ED40 – U+ED7F
The Niji script applies the ideas underlying the Korean hangeul script to the Japanese language. It provides separate consonant and vowel characters to enable a logical phonemic writing system.
Syllables. Niji syllables consist of an initial consonant, or the non-consonant character to indicate the lack of an initial consonant, optionally a medial consonant y, a vowel, optionally a prolonged sound mark , and optionally a final consonant. Every consonant except y can be used as an initial consonant. Only y can be used as a medial consonant; it cannot be used with i. Only n and ts can be used as final consonants. n and ts are interpreted as final consonants if they immediately follow a vowel or a prolonged sound mark and are not immediately followed by a medial consonant or a vowel; they are interpreted as initial consonants otherwise.
Rendering. The consonants and vowels of each syllable are combined into a visual entity that leaves the components recognizable, but also shows that they belong together. The vowels a, i, and e render to the right side of the initial consonant; the vowels u and o below the initial consonant. A medial consonant y forms a ligature with the following vowel by doubling that vowel’s short stroke; the ligature is positioned like the vowel that it includes. A prolonged sound mark either renders to the right of the group formed by initial consonant, medial consonant, and vowel, or forms a ligature with the vowel by doubling the vowel’s main stroke. A final consonant renders below the group formed by the initial consonant and the vowel or vowel ligature, or below the prolonged sound mark if present and rendered separately.
Fonts may, but are not required to, give syllables uniform height and width.
Layout, punctuation, digits. Niji text is written from left to right. Words are separated by spaces, with precise rules yet to be determined. Common script punctuation and digits are used.
Character assignments
The character assignments for the Niji script are preliminary and may change.
ED4 | ED5 | |
---|---|---|
0 | ED40 | ED50 |
1 | ED41 | |
2 | ED42 | ED52 |
3 | ED43 | ED53 |
4 | ED44 | ED54 |
5 | ED45 | ED55 |
6 | ED46 | ED56 |
7 | ED47 | ED57 |
8 | ED48 | ED58 |
9 | ED49 | ED59 |
A | ED4A | ED5A |
B | ED5B | |
C | ED4C | |
D | ED4D | |
E | ED4E | |
F | ED4F | ED5F |
Vowels | ||
---|---|---|
ED40 | | NIJI VOWEL A |
ED41 | | NIJI VOWEL I |
ED42 | | NIJI VOWEL U |
ED43 | | NIJI VOWEL E |
ED44 | | NIJI VOWEL O |
Consonants | ||
ED45 | | NIJI INITIAL NON-CONSONANT |
ED46 | | NIJI CONSONANT K |
ED47 | | NIJI CONSONANT G |
ED48 | | NIJI CONSONANT S |
ED49 | | NIJI CONSONANT Z |
ED4A | | NIJI CONSONANT SH |
ED4C | | NIJI CONSONANT T |
ED4D | | NIJI CONSONANT D |
ED4E | | NIJI CONSONANT CH |
ED4F | | NIJI CONSONANT J |
ED50 | | NIJI CONSONANT TS |
ED52 | | NIJI CONSONANT N |
ED53 | | NIJI CONSONANT H |
ED54 | | NIJI CONSONANT P |
ED55 | | NIJI CONSONANT B |
ED56 | | NIJI CONSONANT F |
ED57 | | NIJI CONSONANT V |
ED58 | | NIJI CONSONANT M |
ED59 | | NIJI CONSONANT Y |
ED5A | | NIJI CONSONANT L |
ED5B | | NIJI CONSONANT W |
Lengthening mark | ||
ED5F | | NIJI PROLONGED SOUND MARK |
Character Properties
The character properties for the Niji script are preliminary and may change.
ED40;NIJI VOWEL A;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED41;NIJI VOWEL I;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED42;NIJI VOWEL U;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED43;NIJI VOWEL E;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED44;NIJI VOWEL O;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED45;NIJI INITIAL NON-CONSONANT;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED46;NIJI CONSONANT K;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED47;NIJI CONSONANT G;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED48;NIJI CONSONANT S;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED49;NIJI CONSONANT Z;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED4A;NIJI CONSONANT SH;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED4C;NIJI CONSONANT T;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED4D;NIJI CONSONANT D;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED4E;NIJI CONSONANT CH;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED4F;NIJI CONSONANT J;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED50;NIJI CONSONANT TS;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED52;NIJI CONSONANT N;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED53;NIJI CONSONANT H;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED54;NIJI CONSONANT P;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED55;NIJI CONSONANT B;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED56;NIJI CONSONANT F;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED57;NIJI CONSONANT V;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED58;NIJI CONSONANT M;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED59;NIJI CONSONANT Y;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED5A;NIJI CONSONANT L;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED5B;NIJI CONSONANT W;Lo;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
ED5F;NIJI PROLONGED SOUND MARK;Lm;0;L;;;;;N;;;;;
More information
For more information about the Niji script, see The Niji Script.