This file contains Label Generation Rules (LGR) for the Gujarati script as would be appropriate for the Root zone. For more details on this proposal see "Proposal for a Gujarati Script Label Generation Ruleset for the Root Zone" [Proposal]. The format of this file follows [RFC 7940].
According to Section 5, "Repertoire" in [Proposal], the Gujarati LGR contains 65 unique code points.
The repertoire is based on [MSR-4], which is a subset of Unicode 6.3 [Unicode 6.3].
Each code-point shows the associated Character, Character Name, Script, Indic Syllabic Category and Reference.
According to Section 6 "Variants", in "[Proposal]", there are no characters/character sequences in Gujarati, which can be created by using the characters permitted as per [MSR-4] and look exactly alike. Hence no variants are being proposed.
However, Gujarati has some cases of confusingly similar combinations which have been listed in Appendix A in the [Proposal].
Gujarati is an alphasyllabary and the heart of the writing system is the Akshar. It is this unit, which is instinctively recognized by users of the script. The writing system of Gujarati could be summed up as composed of Consonants, the Implicit Vowel Killer: Halant, Vowels, Anusvara, Candrabindu, Nukta, Visarga and Avagraha.
Consonants: Gujarati consonants have an implicit schwa /ə/ included in them. As per traditional classification they are categorized according to their phonetic properties. There are 5 Varga groups (classes) and one non-Varga group. Each Varga, which corresponds to Stops, contains five consonants classified as per their properties. The first four consonants are classified on the basis of Voicing and Aspiration and the last is the corresponding nasal. More details in Section "3.4.1 The Consonants" of the [Proposal].
Halant: All consonants have an implicit vowel sign (schwa) within them. A special sign is needed to denote that this implicit vowel is stripped off. This is known as the Halant (્). The Halant thus joins two consonants and creates conjuncts, which can be generally from 2 to 4 consonant combinations. In rare cases it can join up to 5 consonants. More details in Section "3.4.2 The Implicit Vowel Killer: Halant" of the [Proposal].
Vowels: Separate symbols exist for all Vowels, which are either pronounced independently at the beginning or attached to a consonant. To indicate the latter (other than the implicit one), a Vowel modifier (Matra) is attached to the consonant. Since the consonant has a built in schwa, there are equivalent Matras for all vowels excepting the અ (U+0A85). More details in Section "3.4.3 Vowels" of the [Proposal].
Anusvara: In Gujarati, the Anusvara has a dual function. On the one hand, it acts as homorganic nasal i.e. it replaces a conjunct group of a Nasal Consonant+Halant+Consonant belonging to that particular varga. On the other hand, before a non-varga consonant the anusvara represents a nasal sound. Gujarati and its dialects prefer the anusvara to the corresponding half-nasal. More details in Section "3.4.4 The Anusvara" of the [Proposal].
Nukta: Traditionally Gujarati does not admit the Nukta. Gujarati grammarians in their inventory of the Gujarati alphabet do not admit this diacritic. However, the Nukta is used to represent content where Perso-Arabic characters have to be transliterated. More details in Section "3.4.6 Nukta" of the [Proposal].
Visarga and Avagraha: The Visarga is frequently used in Sanskrit and represents a sound very close to /h/. દુઃખ /du:kh/ sorrow, unhappiness. It is used sparingly in Gujarati with a few words borrowed from Sanskrit. More details in Section "3.4.7 Visarga and Avagraha" of the [Proposal].
The LGR includes the set of required default WLE rules and actions applicable to the Root Zone and defined in [MSR-4]. They are marked with ⍟.
These rules have been drafted to ensure that the prospective Gujarati label conforms to akshar formation norms as desired in Gujarati script. These norms are exclusively presented as context rules.
The following symbols are used in the WLE rules:
C → Consonant
M → Matra
V → Vowel
B → Anusvara
X → Visarga
H → Halant/Virama
N → Nukta
The rules are:
More details in Section "7 Whole Label Evaluation Rules (WLE)" of the [Proposal]
Under the Neo-Brahmi Generation Panel, there are many different scripts belonging to separate Unicode blocks. Each of these scripts has been assigned a separate LGR; however the Neo-Brahmi GP ensured that the fundamental philosophy behind building those LGRs are all in sync with all other Brahmi derived scripts. This is the Gujarati LGR, which caters to multiple languages written using Gujarati belonging to EGIDS scale 1 to 4.
Following references are cited in this document: