Old Italic Unicode Block

The Old Italic Unicode block is a collection of character codes that represent the scripts used in ancient Italic languages, primarily those found on the Italian peninsula before the widespread adoption of the Latin alphabet. This block is located in the Unicode standard from U+10300 to U+1032F and includes characters used by various ancient Italic peoples such as the Etruscans, Oscans, Umbrians, and others. The characters in this block reflect the diverse range of alphabets employed by these cultures, which were influenced by the early Greek alphabets. The Old Italic scripts are essential for understanding the early linguistic history of Italy and provide vital insights into the languages and societies of pre-Roman Italic tribes.

In terms of design, the Old Italic scripts are characterized by a right-to-left writing direction, a feature inherited from their Greek alphabetic ancestors. The scripts consist of a series of alphabetic characters depicting sounds used in spoken language and are primarily used in inscribing various texts, most notably in funerary, religious, and legal contexts. Today, the Old Italic Unicode block enables digital archivists, linguists, and historians to transcribe and study these ancient scripts accurately, allowing for better preservation and analysis of valuable historical inscriptions. The integration of Old Italic characters into the Unicode Standard represents a critical step towards the comprehensive digital representation of the world's writing systems, facilitating academic research and enhancing our understanding of ancient Italic cultures.

View a range of fonts that support the Old Italic block.

Below you will find all the characters that are in the Old Italic unicode block. Currently there are 39 characters in this block.