Zero-width non-joiner
Encyclopedia
The zero-width non-joiner (ZWNJ) is a non-printing character used in the computerization of writing system
s that make use of ligatures. When placed between two characters that would otherwise be connected into a ligature, a ZWNJ causes them to be printed in their final and initial forms, respectively. This is also an effect of a space character
, but a ZWNJ is used when it is desirable to keep the words closer together.
The ZWNJ is encoded in Unicode
as .
With the Biblical Hebrew example, the placement of the holam dot to the left of the letter waw is correct for the translation. The placement of the dot over the makes it visually confusing with , seasons. (In Modern Hebrew there is no reason to use the holam after the waw and the ligature is needed, so it is rarely used in Modern Hebrew typesetting.)
In the German example the prefix Auf- is separated from the rest of the word in order to break the ligature fl into the separate characters f and l.
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
s that make use of ligatures. When placed between two characters that would otherwise be connected into a ligature, a ZWNJ causes them to be printed in their final and initial forms, respectively. This is also an effect of a space character
Space (punctuation)
In writing, a space is a blank area devoid of content, serving to separate words, letters, numbers, and punctuation. Conventions for interword and intersentence spaces vary among languages, and in some cases the spacing rules are quite complex....
, but a ZWNJ is used when it is desirable to keep the words closer together.
The ZWNJ is encoded in Unicode
Unicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
as .
Use of the ZWNJ for correct typography
In certain languages, the ZWNJ is required for correct typography.| Correct (with ZWNJ) | Incorrect | Meaning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Picture | Code | Display | Picture | Code | |
أي‌بي‌إم |
أيبيإم |
Arabic Arabic language Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book... 'IBM' |
||||
می‌خواهم |
میخواهم |
Persian Persian language Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence... 'I want to' |
||||
עֲו‌ֹנֹת |
עֲוֹנֹת |
Old Hebrew 'transgressions' | ||||
Auf‌lage |
Auflage |
German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... 'edition' |
With the Biblical Hebrew example, the placement of the holam dot to the left of the letter waw is correct for the translation. The placement of the dot over the makes it visually confusing with , seasons. (In Modern Hebrew there is no reason to use the holam after the waw and the ligature is needed, so it is rarely used in Modern Hebrew typesetting.)
In the German example the prefix Auf- is separated from the rest of the word in order to break the ligature fl into the separate characters f and l.
Use of the ZWNJ for diplaying alternate forms
In the Devanagari script, insertion of a ZWNJ after a consonant with a halant or before a dependent vowel will prevent the characters from being joined properly. For example, the characters and typically combine to form , but when a ZWNJ is inserted between them, (code:क्‌ष) is seen instead.