An IDN variant refers to a format of Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) that allows the use of characters beyond the traditional ASCII characters, such as letters, digits, and hyphens. Regular domain names are limited to using characters from the basic Latin alphabet.
IDNs were developed to support domain names in various languages and scripts, including Chinese characters, Cyrillic script, Arabic, and more. They enable users to use characters from their own language to create domain names.
An IDN variant specifically refers to different variations or forms of a domain name within a single language or script. For example, in the case of Chinese, IDN variants can involve different combinations of characters or additional symbols specific to the Chinese language.
IDN variants allow for more accurate and contextually relevant representation of domain names in their respective languages, thereby promoting the development of a multilingual internet and enhancing accessibility for different cultures and communities.
Here's an example of an IDN variant in Chinese:
Traditional Chinese: 電腦.com
Simplified Chinese: 电脑.com
In this example, both domain names represent the term "computer" but are written in different Chinese character variants (traditional and simplified).
