Thaana

Gabulhi Thaana
Thaana script

Origin

The Thaana script was developed during the 18th century by
an unknown inventor. It first appeared in government documents in 1703
and replaced an older alphabet known as Dhives
akuru
.

Some of the Taana letters were derived from Dhives akuru, while others
were modelled on Arabic numerals.
Vowel indication is modelled on the Arabic system of diacritics.

Notable features

  • Words are written from right to left, but numerals are written from
    left to right.
  • Originally Arabic numerals were used, however nowadays Western numerals
    (1, 2, 3, etc) are used.
  • Vowels are indicated with diacritics which appear above or below
    the consonants. When vowels are come at the beginning of a word or
    are pronounced separately, they are attached to the letter alifu.
  • When the sukun symbol is combined with the letter alifu it
    either doubles the following consonant, or if it appears at the end of a
    word after an “e”, it adds and “h” sound.
  • A number of letters are used solely for writing Arabic loan words.

Used to write:

Dhivehi (Maldivian), an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about
300,000 people in the Maldives and on India’s Minicoy Islands.

Thaana consonants

Thaana consonants

Thaana vowel diacritics

Thaana vowel diacritics

Letters used for transliterating Arabic words (thiki jehi thaana)

Top row: Thaana letters, bottom row: the Arabic letters on which they are modelled

Letters used for transliterating Arabic words (toko jehee taana)

Note

the letter zaa is also used to write the English sound /ʒ/.

Download the script charts (Excel format)

Sample texts

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Maldivian

Transliteration

Hurihaa insaanun ves ufanvanee, dharaja’aa’i ḥa’quthakuga’i
minivankamaa’i hamahamakan libigenvaa ba’e’ge gothuga’eve.
Emeehunnash heyo visnumaa’i, heyo bu’dheege baaru libigenva’ava.
Adhi emeehan ekaku anekakaa medhu mu˂aamalaath kuranvaanee, ukhu’vaththeri
kamuge rooḥe’ga’ava.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another
in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Divehi sample text

Transliteration

al’la’ufedhey qaanoonu asaaseege himaayaïlibigen siyaaseepaateetha’
hingeynegoïtha’ hamajehifaïneïnama e’qaanoonuge misaalakee
alifaanroavej’jenama salaamaïvaane sidie’neï ethake’bureege
imaaraathe’ge misaaleve.

Translation

A newly formed constitution which does not give protection to political
parties under it terms, is equivalent to a multi-storey building with
no fire exits.

The sample text comes from the Maldivian news paper Sandhaanu, 15th August 2002

Links

Information about the Dhivehi language and Thaana script
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divehi_language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaana
http://www.maldivesculture.com/thaana01.html

Free Thaana fonts
http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Thaana.html
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/downloads/fonts.zip
http://www.mitf.net/index.php/projects/thaana/font-unicode.html
http://all1.thefreebizhost.com/Fonts.htm
http://www.saturn.in/foss/thanaunicode/ (Linux)

Dhivehi thaana – reading and writing the Maldivian language
http://www.maldivesculture.com/thaana01.html

Send email in the Thaana script
http://themaldiveislands.com/web2/tmi.phtml?pimt=4

Haveeru Online – online version of a daliy newspaper in Divehi and
English (uses dynamic fonts): http://www.haveeru.com.mv

Maldives websites
http://www.visitmaldives.com.mv
http://www.maldive.com

  • Categoria dell'articolo:Lingue
  • Tempo di lettura:5 minuti di lettura