Chen-Yin Chiang Taiwan’s linguistic history, shaped by cultural and political shifts, saw Mandarin dominate after 1949, marginalizing languages like Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, and indigenous tongues. These sidelined languages, predating 17th-century colonization, are now resurging.
Missionaries introduced Latin alphabets to document these languages, resulting in Taiwan’s first movable-type publication—a Taiwanese Hokkien newspaper in Latin script. This historical connection underscores the role of typography in language preservation. Today, initiatives like bilingual publications, language festivals, and TV shows continue this legacy, emphasizing the critical importance of diverse typefaces in celebrating and sustaining linguistic heritage.
Challenges persist, as traditional Chinese typography often excludes essential characters for local languages. Designers resort to workarounds, such as setting Adobe software to Indic script modes to correctly render tone marks in Taiwanese Romanization, causing inefficiencies in projects. The lack of standardized input methods further hinders progress.
Despite obstacles, innovation thrives. justfont’s open-source jf 7000 collection consolidates character sets with expert input, demonstrating typography’s potential in language revival. Additionally, over the past decade, typefaces supporting Taiwanese, Hakka, and indigenous Romanization systems have significantly increased. Both newly created fonts and derivative works based on open-source designs have enriched resources for diverse languages. These advancements underline the role of type design in preserving heritage.
This presentation explores how typography supports Taiwan’s linguistic revival. It invites typographers to bridge gaps between the dominant and the minority, fostering collaboration for a future where diverse languages are integral to Taiwan’s cultural identity. By sharing knowledge and expertise, we aim to inspire collective efforts toward inclusive typography.