
A Typeface Designed to Revive the Endangered Cherokee Language - samsolomon
https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/a-typeface-designed-to-revive-the-endangered-cherokee-language-typetuesday/
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hyperrail
FWIW, Windows has had a built-in Cherokee font since Vista, several years
before this font (2014). Windows 8 added another font and, more importantly, a
partial Cherokee localization of the UI.

srcs: [1] [http://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2012/12/18/microsoft-
add...](http://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2012/12/18/microsoft-adds-the-
cherokee-language-to-windows-8/)

[2] [http://www.cherokee.org/languagetech/en-
us/windows8cherokee....](http://www.cherokee.org/languagetech/en-
us/windows8cherokee.aspx)

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luxpir
Nice effort on behalf of the Cherokee Nation Language Technology Office - I
didn't know such a thing would exist, but I'm glad it does.

Similar cultural modernisation issues abound just over the water in Ireland,
although Unicode apparently regards Gaelic script as a font variant of Latin.
I did notice that a font called CeltScript is linked to in the links section
here [0] and has been around a good while. I can imagine the script also had
an influence on Tolkien, to say the least [1].

Maybe some of the more ancient cultures of the world should come together more
often, celebrate their joint heritage and influence on the world. I'd support
a Celtic-First Nations powwow-ceol session, even if not many others would!

\--

[0] -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_type](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_type)

[1] -
[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Celtic](http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Celtic)

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Kinnard
This is really cool! I'm a conlanger and I'd love a tutorial on creating
fonts.

Cherokee Wikipedia looks like it's just getting started:
[https://chr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%8E%A4%E1%8E%B5%E1%8E%AE%E...](https://chr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%8E%A4%E1%8E%B5%E1%8E%AE%E1%8E%B5%E1%8F%8D%E1%8F%97)

~~~
gliese1337
FontForge has a tutorial: [http://designwithfontforge.com/en-
US/index.html](http://designwithfontforge.com/en-US/index.html) There's also a
basic introduction to font design in David Peterson's book:
[http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Language-Invention-World-
Build...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Language-Invention-World-
Building/dp/0143126466)

I've been meaning to learn how to create fonts for my own conlanging purposes
for a few months now, but haven't quite gotten around to it yet.

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david-given
Unifont supports Cherokee, BTW.

U+13A0..U+13FF:
[http://unifoundry.com/png/plane00/uni0013.png](http://unifoundry.com/png/plane00/uni0013.png)

U+AB70..U+ABBF:
[http://unifoundry.com/png/plane00/uni00AB.png](http://unifoundry.com/png/plane00/uni00AB.png)

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sandGorgon
Perhaps it makes more sense to contribute this as part of the Google Noto
project that is building typefaces for lesser known languages.

There is a very high chance that this will be included into Android by
default, so you get the advantage of that reach.

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brightball
Would love to know if there is a way for people to learn the Cherokee
language. There's a Cherokee reserve within an hour of my house and I'd love
to learn the language.

~~~
robterrell
This was ten years ago, but I had a company that made streaming distance
learning software and one of our first customers was the Cherokee Nation, who
used it for teaching the language online. It seemed to me that teaching the
language was a priority.

A bit of looking reveals they now publish archives on YouTube, for example:
[https://youtu.be/2DE691WwWac](https://youtu.be/2DE691WwWac) \-- they do seem
to get badly out of sync as they go (fact of life in flash video, with no
timebase reference, dropped frames basically mean your video gets shorter.)

List of archives here:
[http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Language/OnlineLangua...](http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Language/OnlineLanguageClasses/LessonArchives.aspx)

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Nutmog
With all efforts to preserve endangered languages, there's an implicit
assumption that they should be preserved in the heads of human beings. What
value does this language and being able to write it have? I've heard people
say "preserves the culture", but is there any concrete value to it? Does it
help feed people or entertain people, or anything that English wouldn't do
just as well?

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microcolonel
I have at least three Cherokee fonts on my system; wonder why they make it
seem like there weren't any. "Its own font" sounds a bit patronizing.

