Proposed script codes for the ConScript Unicode Registry

The following is a suggested assignment of ISO 15924 script codes to the 41 “constructed” scripts registered in, or proposed for, the ConScript Unicode Registry (CSUR). These user-defined alphabetic and numeric script codes fall within the ISO 15924 range marked “Reserved for private use,” just as the characters in the scripts are assigned to code points within the Private Use Area of Unicode.

In this scheme, codes are assigned as follows:

• The set of available codes is restricted to the range from Qaaa to Qabx. Only 49 codes (excluding Qaai) are available to represent 40 script names. (I thought you said 41...)
• The fourth letter of the code is equal to the first letter of the name of the script, when possible. Another letter in the script name was chosen when the first choice was unavailable. Six of the 40 script codes are completely non-mnemonic.
• The code Qaai is not assigned to a CSUR script, because it was formerly assigned the special meaning of “inherited script” in Unicode Standard Annex #24, “Unicode Script Property,” and is still reserved there as an alias for Zinh.
• Numeric codes are assigned directly from the alphabetic codes. That is, Qaaa = 900, Qaab = 901, and so on up to Qabx = 949.
• Scripts that already have a code officially assigned in ISO 15924 are not assigned a private-use code.

40 or 41?   There are 41 scripts in the ConScript Unicode Registry. One of them (Kinya) exists in three variant forms and is assigned three script codes here, analogous to the assignment of separate ISO 15924 codes for the Fraktur and Gaelic variants of Latin. On the other hand, three CSUR scripts (Cirth, Tengwar, and Visible Speech) already have “real” ISO 15924 codes. So there are 41 + (3 – 1) – 3 = 40 new codes in this proposal.

Like any other private-use assignment, these script codes are not official. They are only a suggestion. The code Qaba refers to the Aiha script only within this unofficial CSUR-based assignment scheme, and only by private agreement between sender and receiver. Otherwise, it could refer to almost anything, even another CSUR script.

Entries in this table are in alphabetical order by script name (click here to see the table ordered by code value). Highlighted scripts already have an official ISO 15924 code.

For more information about the ConScript Unicode Registry, visit the CSUR home page or contact Michael Everson or John Cowan. You can also view a graphical roadmap of the scripts, with links to all 41 proposals.

Copyright © 2003–2009 by Doug Ewell  •  Last modified 2009-11-15