[XeTeX] using different fonts for one language (Syriac)

[Gareth Hughes]

Dear Adam,

I've been thinking of writing a XeLaTeX package for Syriac that would
deal with this and other issues.

I would choose one Syriac font as my main Syriac font (Serto in your
case), and others as exceptions. Then use polyglossia to set up the main
Syriac font, thus:

\usepackage{polyglossia}
\setmainlanguage{syriac}% or use \setotherlanguage if your main language
is something other.
\newfontfamily\syriacfont[Script=Syriac]{Serto Jerusalem}

Then you need some code to set up Estrangelo:

\newfontfamily\estrangelofont[Script=Syriac]{Estrangelo Edessa}
\newcommand{\textestrangelo}[1]{\textsyriac{\estrangelofont #1}}
\newenvironment{estrangelo}{\begin{syriac}\estrangelofont}{\end{syriac}}

Now, you have a command, \textestrangelo{ܫܠܡܐ}, that will render
Estrangelo text, and an environment,
\begin{estrangelo}...\end{estrangelo}, for longer pieces of text.

Have fun,

Gareth.

Adam McCollum wrote:
> Dear list members,
> 
> I'm working on a document with Syriac text and I need to use two
> different fonts. As some of you probably know, there are three different
> scripts used for Syriac; I am mostly using Serto, but I also need to put
> a few things in Estrangela. I suppose there is a way to do this, but I
> don't know what it is.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help!
> 
> Adam McCollum