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I am currently using biblatex with polyglossia (Biber + XeLaTeX).

I have a citation with 2 languages that does not display properly. The entry Cbible2015 has English and Arabic words in the title. Arabic content is reversed. I am using lots of languages, so I have to define various language environments along the way as shown. where the default language for the document is Arabic. I also commented out the reference Website:Elpenor since it causes an error which I do not know its reason.

So I have 4 issues:

  • For same citation with multiple languages, I can't get it to work: As shown all words appear correctly, yet Arabic words appear in a reversed order, yet in the second time the English words are reversed while the Arabic ones are the correct ones.

  • The year is written in Arabic, how can I make it appear in English?

  • The reference Website:Elpenor does not work

  • Finally, citation style specific settings, such as the word "Page", how to replace it with its equivalent in Arabic

Here is the Code

    \documentclass[a4paper,12pt,twoside]{book}
    \usepackage{fontspec} 
    \usepackage [hidelinks,colorlinks=true,linkcolor = blue,anchorcolor = blue,citecolor = blue,filecolor = blue,urlcolor = blue]{hyperref} 

     \usepackage{polyglossia} 
    \setdefaultlanguage[calendar=gregorian,locale=default,numerals=mashriq]{arabic} 
    \setotherlanguages{english,greek,hebrew,coptic,syriac}
    \newfontfamily\arabicfont[Script=Arabic,Mapping=arabicdigits]{Simplified Arabic}
    \newfontfamily\greekfont{Palatino Linotype}
    \newfontfamily\hebrewfont{Ezra SIL}
    \newfontfamily\copticfont{FreeSerifAvvaShenouda}
     \newfontfamily\syriacfont{Serto Jerusalem}

    \usepackage[backend=biber,language=autobib,citestyle=verbose-note,bibstyle=authortitle]{biblatex} 

    \addbibresource{D:/SC/PROJ/Subfile Package Solution - Biblatex/Queries/With_all_set_up.bib} 

    \title{ }
    \author{}
    \date{}

    \begin{document}
    \chapter{}

    \begin{greek}

     καὶ οἰκοδομηθήσονταί σου αἱ ἔρημοι αἰώνιοι, καὶ ἔσται σου τὰ θεμέλια αἰώνια γενεῶν γενεαῖς· καὶ κληθήσῃ Οἰκοδόμος φραγμῶν, καὶ τοὺς τρίβους τοὺς ἀναμέσον παύσεις.\\
    \textbf{(Ησα νη’ @ ς’ - ιβ’)}
    \end{greek}

    \par
    %\cite{Website:Elpenor}

    \begin{coptic}

      Ⲑⲁⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲧⲉ ϯⲛⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁ̀ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲓⲥⲟⲧⲡⲥ ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉϫⲉ Ⲡ̅⳪ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲃⲱⲗ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ⲥ̀ⲛⲁⲩϩ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟ̀ϫⲓ ⲙⲁϯⲟⲩⲱ̀ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲕⲟⲧⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲥ̀ϧⲁⲓ ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲛⲥ ⲟⲩⲱⲣⲡ ⲛ̀ⲛⲏⲉⲧϧⲉϧⲱⲙ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲭⲱ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲥ̀ϧⲁⲓ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲙ̀ⲙⲉⲧⲟ̀ϫⲓ ⲥⲟⲗⲡⲟⲩ.\\
        \textbf{(Ⲏ̀ⲥⲁ ⲛ̅ⲏ̅: ⲋ - ⲓ̅ⲃ̅ )} 
    \end{coptic}

    \cite [12]{CBible2015}\\

    \begin{coptic}

    ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟ̀ϫⲓ ⲙⲁϯⲟⲩⲱ̀ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲕⲟⲧⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲥ̀ϧⲁⲓ ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲛ 
    \end{coptic}

    \cite{CBible2015}\\
    \end{document}

Here is the *.bib file contents

@misc{CBible2015,
 year = {2015},
 title = {{Coptic Bible} الكتاب المقدس القبطي}
}


@misc{Website:Elpenor,
 title = {ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word - Ellopos},
 Month = {May},
 year = {2015},
 url = {https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/Default.asp}
}

enter image description here

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1 Answer 1

2

Here's an example document using Arabic as the main language with Polytonic Greek, Hebrew, Coptic, Syriac, and English as additional languages. It also shows how to set up font support for Egyptians Hieroglyphs (this doesn't need language support).

biblatex doesn't include support for any of these languages. So if you need references and citations in their native language, you'll need to create .lbx files as I have done for Arabic.

I've also shown how to set up basic language support for Coptic and Syriac. More could be added to the files babel-syc.ini and babel-cop.ini. See the babel base file babel-ar.ini for how Arabic is set up.

You can use any font you have which supports the relevant languages and scripts. fontspec with lualatex allows for font settings to be specified with a high degree of flexibility. Just about anything is possible.

MWE

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\usepackage{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents}{\jobname.bib}
@book{Sharoni1969,
 author = {ميخائيل، ملاك  and  الشاروني، حبيب},
 date = {1969},
 title = {المرجع فى قواعد اللغة القبطية},
 location = {الاسكندرية},
 publisher = {جمعية مارمينا العجايبي},
 langid = {arabic}
}
@book{Browning1983,
 author = {Browning, Robert},
 date = {1983},
 title = {Medieval and Modern Greek},
 publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
 langid = {english}
}
@misc{CBible2015,
 date = {2015},
 title = {\foreignlanguage{english}{Coptic Bible} الكتاب المقدس القبطي},
 langid = {arabic}
}
@online{Website:Elpenor,
 title = {ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word - Ellopos},
 date = {2015-05},
 url = {https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/Default.asp},
 langid = {english}
}
\end{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents}{arabic.lbx}
\ProvidesFile{arabic.lbx}
\InheritBibliographyExtras{english}
% Translations thanks to Google Translate.
% I haven't provided abbreviations, because I don't know Arabic.
% You'll need to add more for other strings you use.
% Look in `english.lbx` for the string name.
\DeclareBibliographyStrings{%
  inherit          = {english},
  and              = {{و}{و}},
  page             = {{صفحة}{صفحة}},
  pages            = {{صفحات}{صفحة}},
  references       = {{مراجع}{مراجع}},
  seenote          = {{انظر الملاحظة}{انظر الملاحظة}},
}
\end{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents}{babel-syc.ini}
[identification]
charset = utf8
version = 0.1
date = 2019-08-25
name.local = ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ
name.english = Classical Syriac
name.babel = classicalsyriac
tag.bcp47 = syc
tag.opentype = SYR
script.name = Syriac
script.tag.bcp47 = Syrc
script.tag.opentype = syrc
level = 1
encodings = 
derivate = no
[captions]
[date.gregorian]
[date.islamic]
[time.gregorian]
[typography]
[characters]
[numbers]
[counters]
\end{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents}{babel-cop.ini}
[identification]
charset = utf8
version = 0.1
date = 2019-08-25
name.local = ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ
name.english = Coptic
name.babel = coptic
tag.bcp47 = cop
tag.opentype = COP
script.name = Coptic
script.tag.bcp47 = Copt
script.tag.opentype = copt
level = 1
encodings = 
derivate = no
[captions]
[date.gregorian]
[date.islamic]
[time.gregorian]
[typography]
[characters]
[numbers]
[counters]
\end{filecontents}

\usepackage[nil,bidi=basic-r]{babel}
\babelprovide[import=ar,mapdigits,main]{arabic}
\babelprovide[import=en,language=Default]{english}
\babelprovide[import=el]{polutonikogreek}
\babelprovide[import=syc]{classicalsyriac}
\babelprovide[import=cop]{coptic}
\babelprovide[import=el]{polutonikogreek}
\babelprovide[import=he]{hebrew}
\babelfont{rm}{Latin Modern Roman}
\babelfont[arabic]{rm}{Amiri}
\babelfont[classicalsyriac]{rm}{Noto Sans Syriac}
\babelfont[coptic]{rm}[Language=Default]{Noto Sans Coptic}
\babelfont[polutonikogreek]{rm}[Language=Default]{Noto Serif}
\babelfont[hebrew]{rm}[Language=Default]{Ezra SIL}

% Don't need special language settings for Hieroglyphs
\babelfont{hieroglyphs}{Noto Sans Egyptian Hieroglyphs}

\usepackage{csquotes}
\DeclareQuoteStyle{arabic}
  {\guillemotleft}
  {\guillemotright}
  {\textquotedblright}
  {\textquotedblleft}

\usepackage[%
  hidelinks,
  colorlinks=true,
  allcolors=blue]{hyperref} 

\usepackage[%
  language=auto,
  autolang=other,
  citestyle=verbose-note,
  bibstyle=authortitle,
  doi=false,
  isbn=false]{biblatex} 
\addbibresource{\jobname.bib}

\defbibenvironment{bibliography}
  {\list
     {}
     {\setlength{\leftmargin}{\bibhang}%
      \setlength{\itemindent}{-\leftmargin}%
      \setlength{\itemsep}{\bibitemsep}%
      \setlength{\parsep}{\bibparsep}}}
  {\endlist}
  {\item\leavevmode}% add \leavevmode to align English bibliography items RTL

% Always use Arabic digits for see note.
\usepackage{xpatch}
\xpatchbibmacro{footcite:note}
  {\ref{cbx@\csuse{cbx@f@\thefield{entrykey}}}}
  {\foreignlanguage{arabic}{\ref{cbx@\csuse{cbx@f@\thefield{entrykey}}}}}
  {}
  {}

% Just to test if quotes work
\DeclareFieldFormat{title}{\mkbibquote{\mkbibemph{#1}}}

\begin{document}
\null\vfill

\selectlanguage{classicalsyriac}

ܛܘܼܒܲܝܗܘܿܢ ܠܐܲܝܠܹܝܢ ܕܲܕ݂ܟܹܝܢ ܒܠܸܒ̇ܗܘܿܢ܄ ܕܗܸܢ݂ܘܿܢ ܢܸܚܙܘܿܢ ܠܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ܂

\selectlanguage{coptic}

Ⲑⲁⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲧⲉ ϯⲛⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁ̀ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲓⲥⲟⲧⲡⲥ ⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉϫⲉ Ⲡ̅⳪ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲃⲱⲗ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ⲥ̀ⲛⲁⲩϩ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ
ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟ̀ϫⲓ ⲙⲁϯⲟⲩⲱ̀ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲕⲟⲧⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲥ̀ϧⲁⲓ ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲛⲥ ⲟⲩⲱⲣⲡ ⲛ̀ⲛⲏⲉⲧϧⲉϧⲱⲙ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲭⲱ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲟⲩⲟϩ
ⲥ̀ϧⲁⲓ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲙ̀ⲙⲉⲧⲟ̀ϫⲓ ⲥⲟⲗⲡⲟⲩ.

\selectlanguage{polutonikogreek}

καὶ οἰκοδομηθήσονταί σου αἱ ἔρημοι αἰώνιοι, καὶ ἔσται σου τὰ θεμέλια αἰώνια
γενεῶν γενεαῖς· καὶ κληθήσῃ Οἰκοδόμος φραγμῶν, καὶ τοὺς τρίβους τοὺς ἀναμέσον
παύσεις.

\selectlanguage{hebrew}

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.

\selectlanguage{arabic}

\texthieroglyphs{𓂀𓅃}.

مع المثلة مثال \autocite[256]{Sharoni1969}.
مع المثلة مثال \autocite{Sharoni1969}.

مع المثلة مثال \autocite[256]{Browning1983}.
مع المثلة مثال \autocite{Browning1983}.

مع المثلة مثال \autocite{CBible2015}.
مع المثلة مثال \autocite{Website:Elpenor}.

\printbibliography
\end{document}

MWE output

6
  • Thank you, you did all the job for me, I am truly grateful.
    – Silva
    Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 15:53
  • I get this error, ""warning (node filter): error: ...2019/texmf-dist/tex/generic/babel/babel-bidi- basic-r.lua:178: You cannot set field char in a node of type disc" --> Upon removing the fancyheader setttings, everything works, is there a relation??
    – Silva
    Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 20:20
  • @Silva, You'll need to ask a new question with as simple a MWE as you can that reproduces your problem. Commented Aug 25, 2019 at 23:37
  • @Silva, I reproduced you error. I'll provide an answer to your question at tex.stackexchange.com/questions/504667/… Commented Aug 26, 2019 at 1:03
  • @Silver to remove the error you need to add layout=counters to your main babel package options. Commented Aug 26, 2019 at 1:11

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