Query

[Marco Franceschini]

Dear Patrick,

the problem is not with the Devanagari-QWERTY keyboard but with the font (Tahoma in your case, but Devanagari-MT would work the same). Each font comes with a definite set of glyphs, i.e. graphic representations of characters and ligatures: Tahoma simply doesn't include the graphic ligatures you wish (e.g. a single grapheme for 'gḍv-' or 'ṅk-') and for this reason breaks the ligature using the virāma.
In other words, when you type devanāgarī the file you create is made up only by the Unicode codes of the basic (=single) characters: whenever ligatures are involved, the way they are graphically represented depends only on the availability of gliyphs in the font you are using.
I'm sorry but I don't know of any font for Mac that includes the ghlyps you mentioned.

Best,

Marco Franceschini
----------------------
PhD, Research Fellow
University of Bologna
Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies
via Zamboni 33 - 40126 Bologna - Italy
marco.franceschini3 at unibo.it
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Il giorno 01/apr/2012, alle ore 22.28, Patrick Olivelle ha scritto:

> Dear Computer Wizards:
> 
> Here is a problem that, I hope, a wizard out there can solve. I am using a MAC (OS 10.7.3) and trying to type Devanāgarī on "Pages" with the Devanagari-QWERTY keyboard and Tahoma font. It works beautifully, except for a few annoying problems.
> 
> 1. for the conjunct "ḍv" and "ṭv" the Qwerty functions well. I can even write well "ḍvi" and "ṭvi". But when these come immediately after another letter, for example "ṣ" or "g" -- the ligature between the two letters break down, and we have "ḍ" with a virāma followed by "v". However, if the same conjunct is preceded by TWO letters, the ligature remains intact!! This seems like witchcraft perpetrated on me who need these ligatures preceded by just one letter!!!
> 
> 2. Another big problem with the Devanagari-QWERTY is the it is unable to form a proper ligature of the guttural nasal "ṅ" and a following "k" or "g", even though it does perfectly the ligature between the nasal and the conduct "kṣ". Go figure!! 
> 
> Any help in overcoming these problems would be deeply appreciated by an ignoramus in Texas.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Patrick