Re: [lojban] RE:character names

[John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>]

pycyn@aol.com wrote:

> It is important to note that these names are not for the characters per se
> but for them in some particular function.

Many characters have standardized names that describe only one of their
functions.  # is called NUMBER SIGN by ISO and Unicode, but also serves as
a pound (weight) sign in the U.S.  It also has the form-based names "hash"
and "octothorpe".  The "-" character is officially known as HYPHEN-MINUS,
reflecting two of its commonest functions.

> [I]t can lead to minor confusions when the
> same character is used in different functions: slash for division and
> subaddressing, say,

But it is still the same character.  Furthermore, its standard name is
SOLIDUS, from when its primary purpose was to separate shillings from pence.

> It might also
> be sueful to have use-independent names for the characters, for discussion of
> their various uses.

The Unicode/ISO 10646 index numbers serve that purpose, and we have the
cmavo "se'e" to mark a character code.

-- 

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis um dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)

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