Abyssinica SIL Font FAQ and Known Issues

Answer: SIL Abyssinica (and SIL Abyssinica U and SIL Abyssinica G) was an early, unreleased version of Abyssinica SIL. Although a Unicode font, it only supported Unicode 3.0 and thus had a number of PUA characters in it which have since been added to Unicode 4.1. The PUA codepoints and corresponding Unicode 4.1 codepoints are listed below. Abyssinica SIL has these double-encoded (either PUA or Unicode 4.1 codepoints will work). However, you should consider converting your data to Unicode 4.1. A mapping file to convert your data from PUA to Unicode 4.1 is available here: Mapping Files.

This font also contains more characters than the unreleased version. It contains kerning pairs as well as smart font code (for diacritics) for Graphite, OpenType and AAT.

PUA	Unicode 4.1	PUA	Unicode 4.1
U+E207	U+1207 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE HOA	U+E048	U+2DA0 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSA
U+E247	U+1247 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QOA	U+E049	U+2DA1 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSU
U+E287	U+1287 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XOA	U+E04A	U+2DA2 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSI
U+E347	U+1347 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE TZOA	U+E04B	U+2DA3 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSAA
U+E408	U+1360 ETHIOPIC SECTION MARK	U+E04C	U+2DA4 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSEE
U+E020	U+1380 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SEBATBEIT MWA	U+E04D	U+2DA5 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSE
U+E022	U+1381 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE MWI	U+E04E	U+2DA6 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SSO
U+E024	U+1382 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE MWEE	U+E050	U+2DA8 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCA
U+E025	U+1383 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE MWE	U+E051	U+2DA9 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCU
U+E028	U+1384 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SEBATBEIT BWA	U+E052	U+2DAA ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCI
U+E02A	U+1385 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE BWI	U+E053	U+2DAB ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCAA
U+E02C	U+1386 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE BWEE	U+E054	U+2DAC ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCEE
U+E02D	U+1387 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE BWE	U+E055	U+2DAD ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCE
U+E030	U+1388 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SEBATBEIT FWA	U+E056	U+2DAE ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCO
U+E032	U+1389 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE FWI	U+E058	U+2DB0 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZA
U+E530	U+1390 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK YIZET	U+E059	U+2DB1 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZU
U+E531	U+1391 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK DERET	U+E05A	U+2DB2 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZI
U+E532	U+1392 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK RIKRIK	U+E05B	U+2DB3 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZAA
U+E533	U+1395 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK KENAT	U+E05C	U+2DB4 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZEE
U+E534	U+1396 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK CHIRET	U+E05D	U+2DB5 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZE
U+E535	U+1397 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK HIDET	U+E05E	U+2DB6 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZZO
U+E536	U+1398 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK DERET-HIDET	U+E060	U+2DB8 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHA
U+E537	U+1399 ETHIOPIC TONAL MARK KURT	U+E061	U+2DB9 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHU
U+E2AF	U+12AF ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KOA	U+E062	U+2DBA ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHI
U+E2CF	U+12CF ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE WOA	U+E063	U+2DBB ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHAA
U+E30F	U+130F ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GOA	U+E064	U+2DBC ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHEE
U+E31F	U+131f ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GGWAA	U+E065	U+2DBD ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHE
U+E538	U+135F ETHIOPIC COMBINING GEMINATION MARK	U+E066	U+2DBE ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CCHO
U+E034	U+138A ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE FWEE	U+E000	U+2DC0 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYA
U+E035	U+138B ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE FWE	U+E001	U+2DC1 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYU
U+E038	U+138C ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SEBATBEIT PWA	U+E002	U+2DC2 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYI
U+E03A	U+138D ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE PWI	U+E003	U+2DC3 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYAA
U+E03C	U+138E ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE PWEE	U+E004	U+2DC4 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYEE
U+E03D	U+138F ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE PWE	U+E005	U+2DC5 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYE
U+E20F	U+2D80 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE LOA	U+E006	U+2DC6 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE QYO
U+E21F	U+2D81 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE MOA	U+E008	U+2DC8 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYA
U+E22F	U+2D82 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ROA	U+E009	U+2DC9 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYU
U+E237	U+2D83 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SOA	U+E00A	U+2DCA ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYI
U+E23F	U+2D84 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE SHOA	U+E00B	U+2DCB ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYAA
U+E267	U+2D85 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE BOA	U+E00C	U+2DCC ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYEE
U+E277	U+2D86 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE TOA	U+E00D	U+2DCD ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYE
U+E27F	U+2D87 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE COA	U+E00E	U+2DCE ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE KYO
U+E297	U+2D88 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE NOA	U+E010	U+2DD0 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYA
U+E29F	U+2D89 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE NYOA	U+E011	U+2DD1 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYU
U+E2A7	U+2D8A ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GLOTTAL OA	U+E012	U+2DD2 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYI
U+E2DF	U+2D8B ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE ZOA	U+E013	U+2DD3 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYAA
U+E2F7	U+2D8C ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE DOA	U+E014	U+2DD4 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYEE
U+E2FF	U+2D8D ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE DDOA	U+E015	U+2DD5 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYE
U+E307	U+2D8E ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE JOA	U+E016	U+2DD6 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE XYO
U+E327	U+2D8F ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE THOA	U+E018	U+2DD8 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYA
U+E32F	U+2D90 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE CHOA	U+E019	U+2DD9 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYU
U+E337	U+2D91 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE PHOA	U+E01A	U+2DDA ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYI
U+E357	U+2D92 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE POA	U+E01B	U+2DDB ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYAA
U+E078	U+2D93 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GGWA	U+E01C	U+2DDC ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYEE
U+E07A	U+2D94 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GGWI	U+E01D	U+2DDD ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYE
U+E07C	U+2D95 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GGWEE	U+E01E	U+2DDE ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GYO
U+E07D	U+2D96 ETHIOPIC SYLLABLE GGWE

PUA codepoints and corresponding Unicode 4.1 codepoints

Answer: If these PUA characters are ever incorporated into Unicode it is likely that we would release a new version of the font using both the new Unicode codepoints as well as the PUA codepoints.

However, some of the characters in the PUA are experimental and others are glyph variants. It is unlikely the glyph variants would ever be included in Unicode. The proper way to handle them would be to provide access to them through smart font features. However, there are no current plans to do this.  

Answer: The SIL Open Font License allows bundling with applications, even commercial ones, with some restrictions.

See the OFL web page.

Answer: You can certainly create web pages that request the Abyssinica SIL font be used to display them (if that font is available on the user's system). According to the license, you are even allowed to place the font on your site for people to download it. We would strongly recommend, however, that you direct users to our site to download the font. This ensures that they are always using the most recent version with bug fixes, etc.

Answer: There is no intention to ever charge users for using the Abyssinica SIL font. The current version is licensed under a free/open license and future versions will be similar.

Answer: Yes - that is allowed as long as you abide by the conditions of the SIL Open Font License.

Answer: If you have a special character that you need, the best means of doing so will be to ensure that the character makes it into the Unicode Standard. It is impossible for us to add every glyph that every person desires, but we will place a high priority on adding anything needed for Ethiopic. You can send us your requests, but please understand that we are unlikely to add symbols where the user base is very small, unless they have been accepted into Unicode.

Answer: Yes! See the FONTLOG for information on becoming a contributor.

Answer: Abyssinica SIL is a large font, with lots of glyphs. As a result, some printers can balk at PDFs that have the complete font embedded. The easiest way to avoid this is to have Acrobat/Distiller subset the font. This is generally a good idea anyway (with any font) and can reduce the size of your files.