The top-level domain (TLD) you’re asking about, XN—C2BR7G, is a part of the Internationalizing Domain Names in Applications(IDNA) system, which is used to convert domain names with non-Latin characters into an ASCII format. This specific TLD represents .संगठन in Devanagari script, which translates to “.organization” in English (source: IANA root zone database).
A little background on IDNA: the internet was initially designed with only the Latin alphabet in mind, but as it expanded globally, there was a need to incorporate domain names in other scripts. IDNA, a method specified in RFC 5890, was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to solve this problem.
The process involves converting non-Latin Unicode characters into a form that can be understood by the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS is essential for the functioning of the internet, directing users to the correct websites when they type in a domain name. However, it only recognizes domain names in ASCII format.
Consequently, TLDs like XN—C2BR7G are created using a system called “punycode”. In this system, non-Latin characters are translated into a sequence of ASCII characters. Specifically, punycode strings begin with the letters “xn— “, followed by a string of ASCII characters (source: RFC 3492).
In the case of XN—C2BR7G, the process works as follows: the Devanagari domain “.संगठन” is transformed into “xn— “, followed by a sequence of characters (in this case, “c2br7g”) which corresponds uniquely to “.संगठन”.
As mentioned, this the TLD represents .संगठन. This is intended for organizations: the equivalent in the traditional ASCII-based domain name system would be .org. So a website with this TLD might be an Indian or Nepali organization, using it to indicate that its site is in the Hindi or Nepali language, and that it is run by an organization rather than an individual.
Punycode, in combination with the IDNA system, hence makes the internet more accessible by allowing domains to be registered in a wide variety of scripts other than just Latin. This important development acknowledges the global nature of the internet and allows a greater diversity of users to navigate the web in their native scripts.
Punycode is defined in detail in the Internet Standard RFC 3492, and the IDNA system, along with its various components, is laid out in the Internet Standards RFC 5890, 5891, 5892, and 5893. All these standards are maintained and published by the IETF (source: IETF).
