Gurmukhi (script)

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Label Generation Rules for the Gurmukhi Script

Overview

This document specifies a set of Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Gurmukhi script for the second level domain or domains identified above. The starting point for the development of this LGR can be found in the related Root Zone LGR [RZ-LGR-Guru]. The format of this file follows [RFC 7940]. This LGR is adapted from the “Reference LGR for the Second Level for the Gurmukhi Script” [Ref-LGR-und-Guru], for details, see Change History below.

For details and additional background on the Gurmukhi script, see “Proposal for a Gurmukhi Script Root Zone Label Generation Ruleset (LGR)" [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Repertoire

The repertoire contains 56 codepoints for letters used by the Punjabi language written using the Gurmukhi script. Punjabi ([EGIDS] level 2) is the only language currently using the Gurmukhi script. The repertoire is a subset of [Unicode 11.0.0]. For details, see Section 5, “Repertoire” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi]. (The proposal cited has been adopted for the Gurmukhi script portion of the Root Zone LGR.)

For the second level, the repertoire has been augmented with the ASCII digits, U+0030 to U+0039, plus U+002D HYPHEN-MINUS, for a total of 67 repertoire elements.

Any code points outside the Gurmukhi Script repertoire that are targets for out-of-repertoire variants would be included here only if the variant is listed in this file. In this case they are identified as a reflexive (identity) variant of type “out-of-repertoire-var”. Whether or not they are listed, they do not form part of the repertoire.

Repertoire Listing: Each code point or range is tagged with the script or scripts with which the code point is used and one or more other character categories. For each repertoire element, one or more references document sufficient justification for inclusion in the repertoire; see the “References” below. For code points that are part of the repertoire, comments identify the language using the code point, as well as alternate names of some code points.

Variants

The variants defined in this LGR are limited to those required for use in zones not shared with any other script. As such, this LGR does not define cross-script variants. However, using this LGR concurrently with any LGR for Bengali and Devanagari in the same zone will create potential cross-script issues. For details, see Section 6, “Variants” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi]. Mitigation of these cross-script variants can be addressed by using the Common LGR. For details, see Section 3, “Use of Multiple Reference LGRs in the Same Zone” in [Level-2-Overview]. In addition to variants defined by this LGR, the full variant information related to this script and required for concurrent use with the Bengali and Devanagari LGR(s) can be found in the following LGR: [Ref-LGR-Devanagari-Full-Variant-Script]

>There are no in-script variants defined for Gurmukhi is Section 6, “Variants” of [Proposal-Gurmukhi]. However, one pair of in-script variants is included here based on highly confusable appearance.

Digit Variants: The Gurmukhi reference LGR does not include native digits, so there are no semantic variants defined.

Variant Disposition: All variants are of type “blocked”, making labels that differ only by these variants mutually exclusive: whichever label containing either of these variants is chosen earlier would be delegated, while any other equivalent labels should be blocked. There is no preference among these labels.

This LGR does not define allocatable variants.

The specification of variants in this LGR follows the guidelines in [RFC 8228].

Character Classes

Gurmukhi is an alphasyllabary and the heart of the writing system is the akshar. This is the unit which is instinctively recognized by users of the script. The elements of the writing system consist of Consonants, Implicit Vowel Killer: Halant, Vowels, Bindi, Tippi, Addak, Nukta and Visarga.

Consonants: Gurmukhi consonants contain an implicit vowel schwa /ə/. They are also used without any modification to represent consonant sounds without an implicit /ə/ vowel More details in Section 3.3.1, “The Consonants” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Virama: Unlike the Halant in other Neo-Brahmi scripts, U+094D GURMUKHI SIGN VIRAMA is not used in general to strip a consonant letter’s implicit vowel. The Virama is only used to create a conjunct where the letter U+0A39 HA, U+0A30 RA or U+0A35 VA is the second element in a conjunct. More details in Section 3.3.2, “The Implicit Vowel Killer: Virama” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Vowels and Matras: Punjabi has seven long vowels and three short vowels (ਅ /ə/, ਇ /I/, and ਉ /U/) . Each of them, except U+0A05 have a corresponding vowel sign, or matra, which is used to modify the vowel inherent in the preceding consonant. More details in Section 3.3.3, “Vowels” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Bindi: Bindi represents a homo-organic nasal. Bindi is used with all long vowels and the short vowel U+0A09, as well as with the matras of long vowels, except the matra U+0A42. More details in Section 3.3.4.1, “The Bindi” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Tippi: Tippi is used to nasalize short vowels /ə/ and /I/ at all places, as well as /U/ and /u/ after a consonant. Therefore, Tippi comes after consonants without a vowel sign (representing the matra of /ə/ “mukta”) and after the matra of /I/ ( ਿ ) following vowel carriers and consonants, such as in ਸੰ and ਸਿੰ. The matras of /U/ ( ੁ,) and /u/ ( ੂ ) following a consonant also take a Tippi. In addition, Tippi is used in gemination for nasal consonants ਙ, ਞ, ਨ and ਮ. More details in Section 3.3.4.2, “The Tippi” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Addak: Addak is used to mark the gemination of the following consonant. In Punjabi, addak usually can follow mukta, aunkar ( ੁ ) and sihari ( ਿ ), and the vowel signs of the short vowels /ə/, /u/ and /i/. It geminates the consonant that follows it; therefore it cannot occur at the end of a label. More details in Section 3.3.4.3 “The Addak” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Nukta: Called pairin bindi in Punjabi, Nukta is used with the six consonants (ਸ, ਖ, ਗ, ਜ, ਫ and ਲ ) defined as set C1 to represent the phonemes of words of Sanskrit and Perso-Arabic sources. More details in Section 3.3.4.4, “Nukta” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Whole Label Evaluation (WLE) and Context Rules

Common Rules

By default, the LGR includes the rules and actions to implement the following restrictions mandated by the IDNA protocol. They are marked with ⍟.

• Hyphen Restrictions — restrictions on the allowable placement of hyphens (no leading/ending hyphen and no hyphen in positions 3 and 4). These restrictions are described in Section 4.2.3.1 of RFC 5891 [150]. They are implemented here as context rule on U+002D (-) HYPHEN-MINUS.
• Leading Combining Marks — restrictions on the allowable placement of combining marks (no leading combining mark). This rule is described in Section 4.2.3.2 of RFC 5891 [150].

Default Actions

This LGR includes the default actions for LGRs as well as the action needed to invalidate labels with misplaced combining marks. They are marked with ⍟. For a description see [RFC 7940].

Gurmukhi-specific Rules

These rules have been drafted to ensure that the prospective Gurmukhi label conforms to akshar formation norms as desired in Gurmukhi script. These norms are exclusively presented as context rules.

The following symbols are used in the WLE rules:
C → Consonant
M → Matra
V → Vowel
B → Bindi
D → Tippi
A → Addak
H → Virama / Halant
N → Nukta
M1 → { ਿ(U+0A3F), ੁ (U+0A41) } (Short matras)
M2 → M - M1 (Long matras)
V1 → { ਅ (U+0A05), ਇ (U+0A07), ਉ (U+0A09)} (Short Vowels)
V2 → V - V1 (Long Vowel)
C1 → {ਖ (U+0A16), ਗ (U+0A17), ਜ (U+0A1C), ਫ (U+0A2B), ਲ (U+0A32), ਸ (U+0A38)}
C2 → { ਰ (U+0A30), ਵ (U+0A35), ਹ (U+0A39)}
C3 → C – {ਙ (U+0A19), ਞ (U+0A1E), ਣ (U+0A23), ਹ (U+0A39), ੜ (U+0A5C)}

The rules are:

• 7.1 N: must be preceded by C1
• 7.2 H: must be preceded by C or N and followed by C2
• 7.3 M: must be preceded by C or N
• 7.4 B: must be preceded by specific V or M
• 7.5 D: must be preceded by C, N or specific V or M
• 7.6 A: must be preceded by C, N or specific V or M and followed by C3

More details in Section 7, “Whole Label Evaluation Rules (WLE)” in [Proposal-Gurmukhi].

Methodology and Contributors

The LGR in this document has been adapted from the corresponding Reference LGR for the Second Level. The Second Level Reference LGR for the Gurmukhi Script was developed by Michel Suignard and Asmus Freytag, based on the Root Zone LGR for the Gurmukhi script and information contained or referenced therein; see [RZ-LGR-Guru]. Suitable extensions for the second level have been applied according to the [Guidelines] and with community input. The original proposal for a Root Zone LGR for the Gurmukhi script, that this reference LGR is based on, was developed by the Neo-Brahmi Generation Panel (NBGP). For more information on methodology and contributors to the underlying Root Zone LGR, see Sections 4 and 8 in [Proposal-Gurmukhi], as well as [RZ-LGR-Overview].

Changes from Version Dated 15 December 2020

Unicode Version has been updated.

Changes from Version Dated 25 October 2024

Adopted from the Second Level Reference LGR for the Gurmukhi Script [Ref-LGR-und-Guru] without normative changes.

References

The following general references are cited in this document:

[EGIDS]

Lewis and Simons, “EGIDS: Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale,” documented in [SIL-Ethnologue] and summarized here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expanded_Graded_Intergenerational_Disruption_Scale_(EGIDS)

[Guidelines]

ICANN, “Guidelines for Developing Reference LGRs for the Second Level”, (Los Angeles, California: ICANN, 27 May 2020), https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/lgr-guidelines-second-level-27may20-en.pdf

[Level-2-Overview]

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, (ICANN),“Reference Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Second Level: Overview and Summary” (PDF), (Los Angeles, California: ICANN, 25 October 2024), https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/level2-lgr-overview-summary-25oct24-en.pdf

[Gurmukhi-Chart]

Gurmukhi Unicode chart (Accessed on 21 May 2018) https://unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0A00.pdf

[Proposal-Gurmukhi]

Neo-Brahmi Generation Panel, “Proposal for a Gurmukhi Script Root Zone Label Generation Ruleset (LGR)”, 22 April 2019, https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/proposal-gurmukhi-lgr-22apr19-en.pdf

[Ref-LGR-und-Guru]

ICANN, Second Level Reference Label Generation Rules for the Gurmukhi Script (und-Guru), 25 October 2024 (XML) https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/packages/lgr/lgr-second-level-gurmukhi-script-25oct24-en.xml non-normative HTML presentation: https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/packages/lgr/lgr-second-level-gurmukhi-script-25oct24-en.html

[Ref-LGR-Devanagari-Full-Variant-Script]

ICANN, Second Level Reference Label Generation Rules for the Devanagari Script (und-Deva), 25 October 2024 (XML) https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/packages/lgr/lgr-second-level-devanagari-full-variant-script-25oct24-en.xml non-normative HTML presentation: https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/packages/lgr/lgr-second-level-devanagari-full-variant-script-25oct24-en.html

[RFC 7940]

Davies, K. and A. Freytag, “Representing Label Generation Rulesets Using XML”, RFC 7940, August 2016, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7940

[RFC 8228]

A. Freytag, “Guidance on Designing Label Generation Rulesets (LGRs) Supporting Variant Labels”, RFC 8228, August 2017, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8228

[RZ-LGR-Overview]

Integration Panel, “Root Zone Label Generation Rules (RZ LGR-5): Overview and Summary”, 26 May 2022 (PDF), https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/lgr/rz-lgr-5-overview-26may22-en.pdf

[RZ-LGR-Guru]

ICANN, Root Zone Label Generation Rules for the Gurmukhi Script (und-Guru), 26 May 2022 (XML) https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/lgr/rz-lgr-5-gurmukhi-script-26may22-en.xml

[SIL-Ethnologue]

David M. Eberhard, Gary F. Simons & Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2021. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Twenty fourth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version available as https://www.ethnologue.com

[Unicode 11.0.0]

The Unicode Consortium. The Unicode Standard, Version 11.0.0, (Mountain View, CA: The Unicode Consortium, 2018. ISBN 978-1-936213-19-1) https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode11.0.0/

For references consulted particularly in designing the repertoire for the Gurmukhi Script for the second level please see details in the Table of References below.

Reference [0] refers to the Unicode Standard version in which the corresponding code points were initially encoded. References [105] and above correspond to sources given in [Proposal-Gurmukhi] justifying the inclusion of the corresponding code points. Entries in the table may have multiple source reference values. In the listing of whole label evaluation and context rules, reference [150] indicates the source for common rules.