Coptic in GNU FreeFont (Unicode font family)

[Stevan White]

As of the Jan 4 2009 release, GNU FreeSerif now has a Coptic range!
    http://www.gnu.org/software/freefont/
Download it here (look at the README.txt file for instructions)
     http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/freefont/

Comments are welcome, and desired!  File bug reports or comment on the freefont-bugs mailing lists:
     https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/freefont/

Cheers!

[Admin]

I think only FreeSerif supports coptic
but of course this is better than Nothing
the letters are very pretty
I will test this font more and if it performed well I we will use it as our standard font
otherwise we will fill bug reports as u explained
We want to thank you and everyone who participated in this work

[Stevan White]

Thanks for the feedback!

This range is to be regarded as a first try.  All your information is welcome, and I will act on it soon, once we come to an understanding.

Regarding your bug report
   http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?25289
Let us discuss your issues there.

I would recommend that you make a proper Savannah account, so that you can better follow the progress there.

[ophadece]

Namenra] tyrou>
As `mfont `cse `n]hei ejen taulektronikoc upolonictyc hina `nta`sws qen ]metrem`n<ymi?
Which font should I download on my computer so that I can read in Coptic?
oujai qen `P=[=c

[Stevan White]

Hello,

The README.txt file explains this.
At this time, the latest version is dated 20090104.

If you have Windows XP or Vista, the OpenType version is recommended:
    freefont-otf-20090104.zip
If you have other versions of Windows or some other operating system, the TrueType version is recommended.
    freefont-ttf-20090104.tar.gz
(You may have to find special software to unpack such files however.)

Further instructions are included in the zip files.

Cheers!

[Stevan White]

Several modifications have been made to the font since the last posting, in response to the bug report mentioned above.

These changes will be present in the next release of the font.

(If you would like to participate more closely, please make an account on the GNU Savannah site.  We can then find a way that you see changes as they are applied.)

We are still lacking one kind of resource:

We have images of biblical text, both printed and in manuscript form.  There are also some western academic texts available, printed in various styles of Coptic typefaces. 
What we lack, is examples of "everyday" Coptic type.  Surely newspapers and books were printed in Coptic up to about 1700, and after 1850 or so.  It would be very helpful to see examples of the typefaces they were using.

Thank you!

[Stevan White]

Attached is an image of text in the latest version of the font (not yet released).

[Admin]

Where do I download the lastest version of the font, because you have made many changes since the last release in 04/01/2009

[ophadece]

`Ctevan pamenrit>
Ai`iri `n`hli niben etauer`vmeu`i ehryi hi nientoly `njwm> alla qen `pjiner,rac;e `mvont qen oujwn `nte Ouwrt ceouwnh `nje nicaji ebol qen ]rem`nAggeli`a `mmon ]metrem`n<ymi
I did every thing that was mentioned in the instructions file, but on using the font in a file of Word the words appeared in English language rather than Coptic
Ari`hmot ma`ntott
Please help me
oujai qen `P=[=c

[Stevan White]

Hello, Admin
========
I have indeed made many changes since the 20090104 release.  Some of you have been giving me very good feedback in the GNU FreeFont bug reporting pages. 

The Savannah site that hosts GNU FreeFont doesn't have any mechanism for producing "daily snapshots". 

I'll think about it though.

Work with me through the FreeFont site (mailing lists, etc), rather than the Kama blog, which I only visit occasionally.

If you are a Linux or Unix or Mac user, you can get the font editing program FontForge, and download the FreeFont SFD files from the CVS repository on the FreeFont site.  Then you will be looking at most recent submissions.  This requires a respectable degree of computer sophistication however, but I am in no position to offer help--please find a friend who knows about such things.  (It is supposed to even be possible using Cygwin on Windows, but I never tried it.)

Hello ophadece,
=========
If I understand your situation correctly, you are seeing Latin letters because they are indeed Latin letters. 

The font will not change a Latin "A" into a Coptic Alfa.  To use the font to see Coptic text, the text in the file you are viewing must be "Unicode encoded" as Coptic text.

You also have to use an operating system and programs who know about Unicode.
(Certainly all operating systems of the past five years.)

In order to *type* Coptic, you will need a special "input system".  I think these exist for Windows.

I only know of a few Web sites with substantial amounts of Coptic:
    [Coptic Area site]  http://sites.google.com/site/pisakho/copticarea
    [Gospel of Judas]  http://homepage.mac.com/thgewecke/ujudas2.html
Surely the users of this blog know more.

Cheers!

[Stevan White]

Let me do an experiment:  Probably I can put Coptic letters directly into this page.
If (1) the Kame site is nice about Unicode and (2) your computer is properly set up with a Unicode font supporting Coptic, this should look like the Coptic alphabet.

Ⲁ Ⲃ Ⲅ Ⲇ Ⲉ Ⲋ Ⲍ Ⲏ Ⲑ Ⲓ Ⲕ Ⲗ Ⲙ Ⲛ Ⲝ Ⲟ Ⲡ Ⲣ Ⲥ Ⲧ Ⲩ Ⲫ Ⲭ Ⲯ Ⲱ
Ϣ Ϥ Ϧ Ϩ Ϫ Ϭ Ϯ

ⲁ ⲃ ⲅ ⲇ ⲉ ⲋ ⲍ ⲏ ⲑ ⲓ ⲕ ⲗ ⲙ ⲛ ⲝ ⲟ ⲡ ⲣ ⲥ ⲧ ⲩ ⲫ ⲭ ⲯ ⲱ
ϣ ϥ ϧ ϩ ϫ ϭ ϯ

[ophadece]

Aha nai `iri
Yes those did
oujai qen `P=[=c