PERSIAN ALPHABET Meaning and
Definition
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The Persian alphabet refers to the writing system used to represent the Persian language and is derived from the Arabic script. It consists of 32 letters—an expansion of the Arabic alphabet—which are written from right to left. The Persian alphabet has a rich history that dates back to the 3rd century BCE when it was initially developed for writing Middle Persian, an ancient Iranian language.
The Persian alphabet encompasses both consonants and vowels. However, vowels are generally not represented in written Persian, except in educational materials or texts for children. Diacritical marks, called Harakat, can be added above or below letters to indicate vowel sounds. Additionally, characters can also be modified to represent sounds unique to Persian, such as 'p' and 'g'.
The letters of the Persian alphabet are joined together in cursive writing, creating a flowing, connected style. Ligatures, or combinations of two or more letters, are also commonly used to represent certain sounds. One of the notable features of the Persian script is the presence of four characters—called letters for the 'short vowels’—which are used for abstract sounds, including short vowels, glottal stop, and pause or hesitation.
The Persian alphabet has remained relatively consistent for centuries, despite some minor changes and adaptations over time. Today, it is utilized not only for Persian but also for languages such as Kurdish, the Tajik dialect of Persian, and other indigenous Iranian languages.
Etymology of PERSIAN ALPHABET
The word "Persian" refers to the Persian language spoken in Iran and surrounding regions. The origin of the Persian alphabet itself can be traced back to the ancient Aramaic script, which was used by several Middle Eastern civilizations, including the Persians. Around the 3rd century BCE, during the Achaemenid Empire, a modified version of the Aramaic script known as the Pahlavi script was developed in Persia.
Over time, the Pahlavi script evolved into the Modern Persian script, known as Perso-Arabic script, which is an abjad (consonant-based writing system) derived from the Arabic script. This script is currently used to write Farsi (Modern Persian) as well as other languages such as Dari and Tajiki.
