Request for some IPA and rarer characters

[theblursed]

Dear CatharsisFonts,

In thinking about a new linguistics project, I’m again considering your Ysabeau as a possibility for the main typeface. I want to compliment you again for the work of beauty that Ysabeau is.

Unfortunately, for the use of linguistics today, it is difficult to avoid using the International Phonetic Alphabet; in the case of Ysabeau, the lack of even the main IPA characters is particularly painful, as the typeface is otherwise very rich in diacritics and rare characters, and for its clarity, richness and beauty of design, it would otherwise be a natural choice in many contexts.

I'm therefore writing you to ask for the addition of some characters that I'd find particularly useful; and, as I'm already here, also some rarer, non-IPA ones, that I used in some works and may use again (and/or in new editions of old works).

— Main needs Understanding very well that the whole IPA character set is no small feat nor small work for anybody, I’d ask you only for the addition of the characters I use mostly: ɛ ɔ ɲ ʦ ʣ ʧ ʤ ʃ ʎ ɥ

I’d also need the ̍ (combining vertical line above) to correctly combine with the following vowels, and V to denote a generic vowel: a̍ e̍ i̍ o̍ u̍ ɛ̍ ɔ̍ y̍ V̍

— Would be nice (In IPA transcriptions, for legibility purposes it would be useful to have the top terminal of f, ʃ and ʧ not touch the i̍ in fi̍, ʃi̍ , ʧi̍).

I’d like ʃ to be usable also beyond IPA purposes; it would be nice if it could have ligatures and auto-adjusting top length like ſ in ʃi, ʃj, ʃí, ʃï.

(Ligatures for ʧi and ʧj, as are found in Brill and Junicode, would be a refined esthetic touch, but are not strictly necessary).

— Less necessary It would also be nice if the new IPA vowels (ɛ, ɔ) could combine smoothly with other diacritics (well, for now I may need only ´: ɔ́, ɛ́).

Other less common characters that I may find useful to have: ʋ Ʋ Ɔ Ɛ Ʃ ᘕ Ɔ and Ɛ also with the possibility of combining with ´: Ɔ́, Ɛ́.

Sorry for the many things, and thank you for anything you'll decide to do! Have a good day. 🙂

[CatharsisFonts]

Dear Blursed,

as a conlanger, I have a special place in my heart for IPA, and I’ve always wanted to add it to Ysabeau in particular. But as you said, the task is dauntingly gargantuan, and comes with a slew of obscure difficulties. I currently don’t have time for it. If you were to convince Dave Crossland (or, in fact, any institution of your choice) to fund me for the project, though, I’d be all over it. 🤓

Cheers, Christian

[theblursed]

as a conlanger [...]

I had no idea, that is very interesting to know. I’ve been [surprised by how much I've become] interested in artificial languages for some years now, but I do not follow a lot the current “scene” (mainly because of lack of time... me too). I see in the Internet you’re a professional conlanger? That’s neat! 😄

I have a special place in my heart for IPA, and I’ve always wanted to add it to Ysabeau in particular. But [...] I currently don’t have time for it. If you were to convince Dave Crossland (or, in fact, any institution of your choice) to fund me for the project, though, I’d be all over it.

Understandable. Well, I can’t say I’m good at raising money, unfortunately… but “there’s no harm in trying”, as we say in my country. I'll see if I can do something. “It doesn't happen, but if it happens...”