Table Buckwalter Encoding - warwickfoster/qurantools GitHub Wiki

The buckwalter-encoding table serves as a reference for transliterating Arabic text into Latin characters using the Buckwalter system. This standardized mapping is widely used in computational linguistic studies and text processing of Arabic.

Analysis of the buckwalter-encoding Table

Below is the detailed analysis and description of each field in the buckwalter-encoding table, with the table name included as a left-hand column.

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Table Name	Field Name	Description
buckwalter-encoding	GLYPH	The Arabic script character (glyph) represented in its original orthography.
buckwalter-encoding	ASCII	The corresponding ASCII character used in the Buckwalter Transliteration system to represent the Arabic glyph.
buckwalter-encoding	DESCRIPTION	A textual explanation of the glyph, describing its phonetic or linguistic role (e.g., Hamza, Alif + HamzaAbove).
buckwalter-encoding	UNICODE	The Unicode hexadecimal value for the Arabic glyph, ensuring standardization and compatibility in digital applications.

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Key Insights

1. Field Relationships:

   • GLYPH and ASCII together establish the mapping between Arabic script characters and their transliterated ASCII equivalents, forming the core of the Buckwalter encoding system.
   • UNICODE provides the official digital representation of the Arabic character, ensuring cross-platform consistency.

2. Applications:

   • Supports transliteration and text normalization in computational linguistics, enabling seamless conversion between Arabic script and ASCII.
   • Facilitates text processing, search, and storage in digital applications by leveraging the UNICODE field for standardized character encoding.

3. Linguistic Utility:

   • DESCRIPTION provides contextual information about each glyph, aiding in understanding its linguistic role, such as distinctions between Hamza and Alif + HamzaAbove.

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Example Interpretation of Data:

• Row 1:

  • GLYPH: ?
  • ASCII: '
  • DESCRIPTION: Hamza
  • UNICODE: 0621
  • Represents the Arabic Hamza character, encoded as ' in ASCII and 0621 in Unicode.

• Row 4:

  • GLYPH: ?
  • ASCII: <
  • DESCRIPTION: Alif + HamzaBelow
  • UNICODE: 0625
  • Represents the character Alif with HamzaBelow, transliterated as < in Buckwalter encoding.

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Contextual Significance:

1. Standardization and Compatibility:
   • The UNICODE field ensures that Arabic characters are stored and processed consistently across platforms and applications.
2. Transliteration and Text Processing:
   • The ASCII field facilitates transliteration into ASCII, making Arabic text more accessible for computational processing and storage.
3. Linguistic Research:
   • The table supports linguistic studies by providing a clear mapping between Arabic script and its phonetic or semantic representations.

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First 10 Rows Example

GLYPH	ASCII	DESCRIPTION	UNICODE
?	'	Hamza	0621
?	>	Alif + HamzaAbove	0623
?	&	Waw + HamzaAbove	0624
?	<	Alif + HamzaBelow	0625
?	}	Ya + HamzaAbove	0626
?	A	Alif	0627
?	b	Ba	0628
?	p	Ta Marbuta	0629
?	t	Ta	062A
?	v	Tha	062B

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