Understanding the Problems of the Support of an Endangered Language in Typography: Proposal of a Typeface That Supports the Laz Language

Asillazanci, Zeynep

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/22318

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Authors

Asillazanci, Zeynep

Advisor(s)

Silva, Joana

Abstract(s)

This project addresses the diacritic-based literary problems of the endangered Laz language and has aimed to design a typeface that supports non-Unicode letters in Lazoglu alphabet. In the first part of this project, language erosion has been examined by taking into account the ‘The Atlas of the World’s Language in Danger’ document published by Unesco. On the following part, reference is made to the relation between language and writing, and the evolution of writing and typography. In the third step, history of the Latin-based Laz alphabets is examined from the Soviet era to the formation process of the present Lazoglu Alphabet. The misuse of non-Unicode letters in the Lazoglu alphabet by literate Lazes has been analyzed with utilizing handwriting samples, existed typefaces and printed matters. The design process of the Helimisi typeface is detailed from the early sketches until the digitization of the glyphs with the Glyphs software. Firstly the diacritic alternatives have been designed by taking into account that the form and position of diacritics affect legibility as much as the main form components of the typeface. The project was terminated by making kerning and spacing adjustments after the uppercases, lowercases, punctuation marks and numbers were designed.