Added language keyboards do not provide Cyrillic or Hebrew alphabets.

[anciano]

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate and Office 2913. Recently I went to Control Panel > Region & Language and added Greek, Russian, Arabic, and Hebrew keyboards to the language bar. I have done this before in Windows XP and did not have problems.
So I was surprised to find that the Greek setting on the language bar enabled me to enter Greek text properly, while the Russian setting did not call up the Cyrillic alphabet, but left me typing in the English variety of the Latin alphabet, exactly as when the language bar is set for English. And the Arabic setting works properly also, but the Hebrew setting behaves just like the Russian except for right-to-left text entry—it does not change to the Hebrew alphabet, but leaves me typing in the default Latin letters. (Of course I select a font that provides the alphabet I need.) Thinking that there may be some problem with Microsoft’s keyboard programs, I replaced them with their Kansas University counterparts, but it made no difference.
I have little interest in converting the innumerable messages and instructions generating by the computer for my enjoyment into anything other than the default English; I want only to compose text in the languages I have added, mostly in Word but I suppose also in the other MS Office programs, as I did for years with older operating systems.
Greek yes, Cyrillic no; Arabic yes, Hebrew no. Why? I hope someone in this forum can suggest a solution.

 

[Ranger4]

Hi anciano, welcome to the Forum.

Have you installed your required language packs for Office 2013. Have a look at this MS website & read through it & download the language pack, being sure to get the right version for your system, either 32 bit or 64 bit.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2817427/description-of-microsoft-office-2013-language-pack-service-pack-1-sp1

 

[anciano]

I downloaded and installed the service pack and the language pack, rebooted, and it makes no difference. I still can't get the Cyrillic or Hebrew alphabets on the language bar.

 

[anciano]

Ranger4, I did a bit more monkeying around, rebooted a couple of times, and first I got the Russian and just now the Hebrew. Thanks for your help; if I hadn't installed the service pack and language update, it wouldn't have happened. Now to see if there is a Syriac keyboard; MS doesn't know about Syriac yet.

 

[Layback Bear]

anciano you have raised my curiosity.

Needing all those languages including Syriac.
Syriac has been around in one fashion or another for thousands of years.

What kind of work or studies are you doing?

Of course you don't have to enlighten me if you don't want to.
Im just curious.

Jack

 

[Ranger4]

Ranger4, I did a bit more monkeying around, rebooted a couple of times, and first I got the Russian and just now the Hebrew. Thanks for your help; if I hadn't installed the service pack and language update, it wouldn't have happened. Now to see if there is a Syriac keyboard; MS doesn't know about Syriac yet.

Glad I could help. This PDF might help you with the Syriac keyboard for Windows 7.

http://www.simply-a-christian.com/languages/aramaic-syriac/Installing-Syriac-Keyboard-Language-in-Microsoft-Windows.pdf

 

[anciano]

Thanks, Ranger4. A more careful look at the list revealed that MS does have a Syriac keyboard. I don't know yet how it works; just downloaded some fonts, and I don't have time for more today.

 

[anciano]

Hello Jack,

Currently I'm writing up a bit on the names assigned to Pharaoh's daughter in Exodus 2. There are around a half dozen, in sources in Greek, Coptic, Syriac, Hebrew, & Arabic. Someone posed the question, and it turned out that the answer is complicated.

 

[Layback Bear]

You sure have your work cut out for you.
Back and forth using translation has got to take a long time.
If I remember correct, translation in the same language changes. It all depends who is doing the translation.

Wish you well.

Jack