Santali Script
Hi,
I have some questions about the Santali script:
- I heard that Santali can be written using Latin, Devanagari, Bengali, Oriya and Ol Chiki scripts. Is there any data about the number of people who use each script? For example, where did you take the 65% number?
- Which script is taught in Santali schools?
- Are you familiar with any software that can convert between the different Santali scripts, for example to convert from Latin to Ol Chiki?
- We would love to provide an Ol Chiki font to be downloadable directly from Wikipedia, but we only provide Free fonts. Do you know whether there's an Ol Chiki font with a Free license, like GPL or OFL, which allows free use, modification and distribution? I found a font here, but that page says "The author owns exclusive rights to modify these fonts", so we cannot distribute them.
Thank you!
Thanks for your eagerness about Santali and really happy for you!! For that information you have to contact with Santal Norwegian Mission (Norway), Santal Education(Bangladesh),Dumka(India).But unfortunately they don't have any online publication about the santal population and the santali writing script. I may help you to get the information by e-mail (such as I can give you the paper/magazine's screenshot or pdf formates) .
Next point: In our country(Bangladesh) all the santali schools and Christian churches are using the Latin and you may know that the Santali Bible(Christian) is written in Latin Script. But in India the most santals are using the latin. Even our santali grammar is written in Latin script. But nowadays they are going to eastablish the OL Chiki but the OL chiki and Devnagri script useres are a few of numberes(you may find them in Jharkhand,Ranchi). Also You may know that there are some glotal and phonetical problems with OL Chiki, Devnagri,Bangla and we have many debates about those scripts.But the Latin dosen't make any debates.
Software: Yet we don't have any santali script converter software.We have fonts about santali. But recently I made santali unicode typing software and now the santal people are using this software to write santali Santali Typing Software .
Ol Chiki: The unicode Ol Chiki fonts are still under construction Ol Chiki Unicode and some browser don't support the ol chiki(like Internet Explorer,Mozila Firefox).
Dear Amir,
- Please provide the source of information, 65% number. - As you may know Santal is largest tribal population in India. Santali is taught in Ol Chiki script in Indian schools. - There are on going projects, with corporate funding, for ol chiki Software. - Yes, http://wesanthals.tripod.com/ is source of various Ol Chiki fonts which can downloaded. But they aren't available with free license.
Ol Chiki script is already added to the Unicode. Range: 1C50 - 1C7F
Thank you, Sandip