Section on Abbreviation

[behnam]

There are various methods for abbreviating words in Persian/Arabic text, and I think covering best-practices can help with software tooling.

If so, we can add the text to chapter 3. Characters and Words, or in an Appendix.

Anyways, I'll keep posting some examples here for reference.

[behnam]

This is an example from The Persian Encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persian_Encyclopedia), a table for definition of abbreviations, as used later in entry text.

Methods used for abbreviation:

Method 1: Every letter connected to left (if applicable), including last letter.
Examples:

• "عرض جنوبی" (literally: south latitude) becomes "عج‍" (that's <AIN, JEEM, ZWJ>).
• "کیلومتر" (Kilometer) becomes "کم‍" (that's <KEHEK, MEEM, ZWJ>).

NOTE: This is one of the main use-cases of ZWJ.

Method 2: Every letter connected to left (if applicable), except last letter.
Examples:

• "الی آخر" (meaning "etc.") becomes "الخ" (that's <ALEF, LAAM, KHAH>).
• "فوت-پوند-ثانیه" (Foot-Pound-Second) becomes "فپث" (that's <FEH, PEH, THEH>).

Method 3: Every letter disconnected.
Examples:

• "بعد از میلاد مسیح" (meaning A.D.) becomes "ب‌م" (that's <BEH, ZWNJ, MEEM>)
• "هجری شمسی" (Solar Hijri calendar) becomes "ه‍‌ش" (that's <HEH, ZWJ, ZWNJ, SHEEN>).

NOTE: This is one of the main use-cases of ZWNJ, as well as <HEH, ZWJ> / <HEH, ZWJ, ZWNJ> sequences.

More notes:
A) When the last letter is not left-joining, it's not possible to differentiate between Method 1 and Method 2.
B) All methods work for any number of letters, even one. Of course, again, sometimes it won't be possible to differentiate looking at the result.

[khaledhosny]

I don’t think I ever saw method 1, 2 and 3 are seen. Another method in Arabic is to put a period after each letter.

Another (more antiqued) method for abbreviation in Arabic is النحت where parts of the words are fused together to make a new word, for example “بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم” becomes “بسملة”, and “لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله” becomes “حوقلة” and “حي على الصلاة” becomes “حيعلة”.

[behnam]

This example is also kind of old-school. I'll post more modern examples soon.

About using periods in Arabic text, @khaledhosny and @ntounsi, could you please post some examples (hopefully from printed material), specially if you can find a case with period that has letter HEH in it?

[ntounsi]

Some common abbreviations I know are

• صلعم for صلى الله عليه وسلم aka ﷺ
• and الخ for etc.

Method 2 than.

Agree with Khaled, I don’t see method 1.

In morocco, abbreviations are not common, but it is method 3. Letters in isolated form with or without a period/space after each letter but the last. Examples :

1. تعد الشركة الوطنية للإذاعة و التلفزة -"ش.و.إ.ت"-، الإذاعة و التلفزة المغربية "إ.ت.م" سابقا here, the moroccan radio and tv.
2. م ش ف (for المجمع الشريف للفوسفاط The Moroccan company of phosphat ) here and here.
3. المركزيات النقابية إ.م.ش – ك.د.ش – ف.د.ش تعلن from here.
4. م.و.س.ح (for المكتب الوطني للسكك الحديدة the railway in Morocco) here.

I wonder if abbreviations are of common use, e.g. as logos, in Arabic script countries as in other countries :
UN, UK, WHO, IBM, UNESCO (this one is phonetically spoken and written يونسكو).

[behnam]

An example from a recently published (using DTP) document: https://calendar.ut.ac.ir/Fa/News/Data/Doc/calendar%201396-full.pdf

Notes:

• TATWEEL is used instead of ZWJ to force letter HEH into Initial form.
• SPACE is used after letter HEH.
• Both of behaviors mentioned could be because of technical limitation or just bad typesetting practice.

[asmusf]

A colleague writes:

"At least in Urdu, this would be specialized use, in dictionaries, etc. I am sure I can find a dictionary which does that. But this is not normal practice."

[behnam]

@asmusf, do you know which method your colleague is talking about? Method 1?

[reza1615]

At Dehkhoda_Dictionary :
at ابلونیوس رودوسی the text is (۱۸۶ ق. م)
At Moeen_Encyclopedic_Dictionary and Sokhan Encyclopedic_Dictionary they used «صف‍.» for صفت (adjective) and «اِ.» for اسم (name)
At Farhange Jame farsi published by Persian academy (فرهنگستان فرهنگ و ادب) here is download link at page 22 used ه‍.ق for هجری قمری
for more information see here at fa.wikipedia