Adding Cismaaniya support to your website

[James Dahl]

I have done a lot of work to make Cismaaniya fonts work for my website, so I will make things easier for everyone else

First off, here is a script I wrote in PHP to transliterate the Somali latin alphabet into vocalized classical Arabic, Cismaaniya (or Borama/Gadabursi script if that font is made/used), or accented English alphabet characters.

Code: Select all

function LanguageConvert($text, $languageSetting) {
	$newtext = $text;
	if($languageSetting == 2) {
		$somali = array("Aa", "aa",
						"Ee", "ee", 
						"Ii", "ii", 
						"Oo", "oo", 
						"Uu", "uu", 
						"A", "a",
						"E", "e", 
						"I", "i", 
						"O", "o", 
						"U", "u", 
						"B", "b",
						"Th", "th",
						"T", "t",
						"J", "j",
						"X", "x",
						"Kh", "kh",
						"Dh", "dh",
						"D", "d",
						"R", "r",
						"Sh", "sh",
						"Sc", "sc",
						"Dc", "dc",
						"Tc", "tc",
						"Zc", "zc",
						"Z", "z",
						"C", "c",
						"S", "s",
						"G", "g",
						"F", "f",
						"Q", "q",
						"K", "k",
						"L", "l",
						"M", "m",
						"N", "n",
						"H", "h",
						"Y", "y",
						"W", "w",
						"'");
		$arabic = array("ع", "َا",	//Aa
						"ى", "َى",	//Ee
						"إ", "ِي",	//Ii
						"و", "ُو",	//Oo
						"و", "ُو",	//Uu
						"ا", "َ",	//A
						"ى", "َ",	//E
						"إ", "ِ",	//I
						"و", "ُ",	//O
						"و", "ُ",	//U
						"ب", "ب",	//Ba
						"ث", "ث",	//Tha
						"ت", "ت",	//Ta
						"ج", "ج",	//Jim
						"ح", "ح",	//Xa
						"خ", "خ",	//Kha
						"ذ", "ذ",	//Dhal
						"د", "د",	//Dal
						"ر", "ر",	//Reh
						"ش", "ش",	//Shin
						"ص", "ص",	//Sad
						"ض", "ض",	//Dad
						"ط", "ط",	//Ta
						"ط", "ط",	//Za
						"ز", "ز",	//Zayn
						"ع", "ع",	//Ayn
						"س", "س",	//Sin
						"غ", "غ",	//Ghayn
						"ف", "ف",	//Fa
						"ق", "ق",	//Qaf
						"ك", "ك",	//Kaf
						"ل", "ل",	//Lam
						"م", "م",	//Mim
						"ن", "ن",	//Nun
						"ه", "ه",	//Ha
						"ي", "ي",	//Ya
						"و", "و",	//Waw
						"ء");  //Hamza
		$newtext = str_replace($somali, $arabic, $text);
	}
	
	if($languageSetting == 3) {
		$somali = array("Aa", "aa",
						"Ee", "ee", 
						"Ii", "ii", 
						"Oo", "oo", 
						"Uu", "uu", 
						"A", "a",
						"E", "e", 
						"I", "i", 
						"O", "o", 
						"U", "u", 
						"B", "b",
						"T", "t",
						"J", "j",
						"X", "x",
						"Kh", "kh",
						"Dh", "dh",
						"D", "d",
						"R", "r",
						"Sh", "sh",
						"S", "s",
						"Z", "z",
						"C", "c",
						"G", "g",
						"F", "f",
						"Q", "q",
						"K", "k",
						"L", "l",
						"M", "m",
						"N", "n",
						"W", "w",
						"H", "h",
						"Y", "y");
		$cismaniya = array("𐒀", "𐒀",	//Aa
						"𐒜", "𐒜",		//Ee
						"𐒝", "𐒝",		//Oo
						"𐒓", "𐒓",		//Uu
						"𐒕", "𐒕",		//Ii
						"𐒀", "𐒀", //Alef
						"𐒗", "𐒗", //E
						"𐒘", "𐒘", //I
						"𐒙", "𐒙", //O
						"𐒚", "𐒚", //U
						"𐒁", "𐒁", //Ba
						"𐒂", "𐒂", //Ta
						"𐒃", "𐒃", //Ja
						"𐒄", "𐒄", //Xa
						"𐒅", "𐒅", //Kha
						"𐒊", "𐒊", //Dha
						"𐒆", "𐒆", //Deel
						"𐒇", "𐒇", //Ra
						"𐒉", "𐒉", //Shiin
						"𐒈", "𐒈", //Sa
						"𐒈", "𐒈", //Sa for Z
						"𐒋", "𐒋", //Cayn
						"𐒌", "𐒌", //Ga
						"𐒍", "𐒍", //Fa
						"𐒎", "𐒎", //Qaaf
						"𐒏", "𐒏", //Kaaf
						"𐒐", "𐒐", //Laan
						"𐒑", "𐒑", //Miin
						"𐒒", "𐒒", //Nuun
						"𐒓", "𐒓", //Waw
						"𐒔", "𐒔", //Ha
						"𐒕", "𐒕"); //Ya
		$newtext = '<span class="osmanya">'.str_replace($somali, $cismaniya, $text).'</span>';
	}
	
	if($languageSetting == 1) {
		$somali = array("Caa", "Caa",
						"Cee", "cee",
						"Cii", "cii",
						"Coo", "coo",
						"Cuu", "cuu",
						"Ca", "ca",
						"Ce", "ce",
						"Ci", "ci",
						"Co", "co",
						"Cu", "cu",
						"Aa", "aa",
						"Ee", "ee", 
						"Ii", "ii", 
						"Oo", "oo", 
						"Uu", "uu", 
						"X", "x",
						"c");
		$english = array("&#703;&#256;", "&#703;&#257;", //Caa
						 "&#703;Ay", "&#703;ay", //Cee
						 "&#703;&#298;", "&#703;&#299;", //Cii
						 "&#703;&#332;", "&#703;&#333;", //Coo
						 "&#703;&#362;", "&#703;&#363;", //Cuu
						 "&#703;A", "&#703;a", //Ca
						 "&#703;E", "&#703;e", //Ce
						 "&#703;I", "&#703;i", //Ci
						 "&#703;O", "&#703;o", //Co
						 "&#703;U", "&#703;u", //Cu
						 "&#256;", "&#257;", //Aa
						 "Ay", "ay", //Ee
						 "&#298;", "&#299;", //Ii
						 "&#332;", "&#333;", //Oo
						 "&#362;", "&#363;", //Uu
						 "&#7716;", "&#7717;", //X
						 "&#703;");  //c
		$newtext = str_replace($somali, $english, $text);
	}
	return $newtext;
}

The way it works is you run the function with the text you want transliterated as the first variable in the function, and the second is what you want it transliterated into. It assumes the word being transliterated is written in the Soomaali Latin Alphabet, and transliterates into 1: English alphabet, 2: Arabic alphabet, 3: Cismaaniya alphabet. Like this:

Code: Select all

LanguageConvert('Soomaali', 3);

That will return the word Soomaali in Cismaaniya characters.

Next I have created an open source SVG font of the Cismaaniya alphabet. Here (normal) and here (bold).

To use them, save both fonts into the same folder your style sheet is in, and add this to your stylesheet:

Code: Select all

@font-face { font-family: Cismaaniya; font-weight: normal; src: local("Cismaaniya Normal"),  url('CismaaniyaNormal.svg') format('svg'); }
@font-face { font-family: Cismaaniya; font-weight: bold; src: local("Cismaaniya Bold"),  url('CismaaniyaBold.svg') format('svg'); }
.cismaaniya { font-family: Cismaaniya; }

This will set whatever text you process with the PHP function to also use the Cismaaniya font, as it automatically wraps any text 'Cismaaniyaized' in that class.

[MrSinister]

You need a new hobby saxiib.

[Alphanumeric]

I've been waiting for something like this.

[afisoone]

There is nothing 100% translation....sxb. I have done this sir....
get my e=book inshallah...soon..

[Coeus]

Niice

I have a Necklase with my name on it with Osmaniya letters, i like the writing very much

[waryaa]

tnx james!

If you have time can you add "read it in osmaniya" page on your site where visitors can paste some somali text or supply external URL. Instead of reinventing the wheel other somali sites could simply add one button "read it in osmaniya" with a link to something like james-site.com/osmaniya/?page=www.mysitte.com/about_us on their sites.