maˈtʼuww

Writing Scripts Descended from Egyptian Hieroglyphs

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Arabic

كتابة عربية

Abjad1
4 c. CE - Present1


Right-to-left1

Arabic

Languages1

Arabic, Berber languages, Persian, Pashto, Kurdish, Balochi, Urdu, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Moplah, Sulu, Malagasy, Malay, Karaite, Uyghur, etc.

Places1

Middle East, North Africa, Horn of Africa, Indian subcontinent, East Turkistan, and South East Asia.

Abecedary2


Order used in modern dictionaries and other reference books. Letters are grouped based on similarity in shape.

Ar01
Arabic letter ʾalif
Ar02
Arabic letter Bāʾ
Ar24
Arabic letter Tāʾ
Ar24.1
Arabic letter Thāʾ
Ar03
Arabic letter Jīm
Ar08.0
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ
Ar08.1
Arabic letter Khāʾ
Ar04.0
Arabic letter Dāl
Ar04.1
Arabic letter Dhāl
Ar21
Arabic letter Rāʾ
Ar07
Arabic letter Zāy
Ar22.0
Arabic letter Sīn
Ar22.1
Arabic letter Shīn
Ar19.0
Arabic letter Ṣād
Ar19.1
Arabic letter Ḍād
Ar09.0
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ
Ar09.1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ
Ar16
Arabic letter ʿayn
Ar17
Arabic letter Ghayn
Ar18
Arabic letter Fāʾ
Ar20
Arabic letter Qāf
Ar11
Arabic letter Kāf
Ar12
Arabic letter Lām
Ar13
Arabic letter Mīm
Ar14
Arabic letter Nūn
Ar05
Arabic letter Hāʾ
Ar06
Arabic letter Wāw
Ar10
Arabic letter Yāʾ
Ar00
Arabic letter Hamzah


Order follows the earlier north Semitic alphabetic order with additional Arabic letters.

Ar01
Arabic letter ʾalif
Ar02
Arabic letter Bāʾ
Ar03
Arabic letter Jīm
Ar04.0
Arabic letter Dāl
Ar05
Arabic letter Hāʾ
Ar06
Arabic letter Wāw
Ar07
Arabic letter Zāy
Ar08.0
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ
Ar09.0
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ
Ar10
Arabic letter Yāʾ
Ar11
Arabic letter Kāf
Ar12
Arabic letter Lām
Ar13
Arabic letter Mīm
Ar14
Arabic letter Nūn
Ar22.0
Arabic letter Sīn
Ar16
Arabic letter ʿayn
Ar18
Arabic letter Fāʾ
Ar19.0
Arabic letter Ṣād
Ar20
Arabic letter Qāf
Ar21
Arabic letter Rāʾ
Ar22.1
Arabic letter Shīn
Ar24
Arabic letter Tāʾ
Ar24.1
Arabic letter Thāʾ
Ar08.1
Arabic letter Khāʾ
Ar04.1
Arabic letter Dhāl
Ar19.1
Arabic letter Ḍād
Ar09.1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ
Ar17
Arabic letter Ghayn
Ar00
Arabic letter Hamzah

Contextual forms2

Isolated

Ar01a1
Arabic letter ʾalif (isolated/initial)
Ar02a1
Arabic letter Bāʾ (isolated)
Ar24.0a1
Arabic letter Tāʾ (isolated)
Ar24.1a1
Arabic letter Thāʾ (isolated)
Ar03b1
Arabic letter Jīm (isolated)
Ar08.0a1
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ (isolated)
Ar08.1a1
Arabic letter Khāʾ (isolated)
Ar04.0a1
Arabic letter Dāl (isolated/initial)
Ar04.1a1
Arabic letter Dhāl (isolated/initial)
Ar21a1
Arabic letter Rāʾ (isolated/initial)
Ar07a1
Arabic letter Zāy (isolated/initial)
Ar22.0a1
Arabic letter Sīn (isolated)
Ar22.1a1
Arabic letter Shīn (isolated)
Ar19.0a1
Arabic letter Ṣād (isolated)
Ar19.1a1
Arabic letter Ḍād (isolated)
Ar09.0a1
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ (isolated)
Ar09.1a1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ (isolated)
Ar16a1
Arabic letter ʿayn (isolated)
Ar17a1
Arabic letter Ghayn (isolated)
Ar18a1
Arabic letter Fāʾ (isolated)
Ar20a1
Arabic letter Qāf (isolated)
Ar11a1
Arabic letter Kāf (isolated)
Ar12a1
Arabic letter Lām (isolated)
Ar13a1
Arabic letter Mīm (isolated)
Ar14a1
Arabic letter Nūn (isolated)
Ar05a1
Arabic letter Hāʾ (isolated)
Ar06a1
Arabic letter Wāw (isolated/initial)
Ar10a1
Arabic letter Yāʾ (isolated)

Initial

Ar02b1
Arabic letter Bāʾ (initial)
Ar24.0b1
Arabic letter Tāʾ (initial)
Ar24.1b1
Arabic letter Thāʾ (initial)
Ar03b1
Arabic letter Jīm (initial)
Ar08.0b1
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ (initial)
Ar08.1b1
Arabic letter Khāʾ (initial)
Ar22.0b1
Arabic letter Sīn (initial)
Ar22.1b1
Arabic letter Shīn (initial)
Ar19.0b1
Arabic letter Ṣād (initial)
Ar19.1b1
Arabic letter Ḍād (initial)
Ar09.0b1
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ (initial)
Ar09.1b1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ (initial)
Ar16b1
Arabic letter ʿayn (initial)
Ar17b1
Arabic letter Ghayn (initial)
Ar18b1
Arabic letter Fāʾ (initial)
Ar20b1
Arabic letter Qāf (initial)
Ar11a1
Arabic letter Kāf (initial)
Ar12b1
Arabic letter Lām (initial)
Ar13b1
Arabic letter Mīm (initial)
Ar14b1
Arabic letter Nūn (initial)
Ar05b1
Arabic letter Hāʾ (initial)
Ar10b1
Arabic letter Yāʾ (initial)

Medial

Ar01b1
Arabic letter ʾalif (medial/final)
Ar02b1
Arabic letter Bāʾ (medial)
Ar24.0c1
Arabic letter Tāʾ (medial)
Ar24.1c1
Arabic letter Thāʾ (medial)
Ar03b1
Arabic letter Jīm (medial)
Ar08.0c1
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ (medial)
Ar08.1c1
Arabic letter Khāʾ (medial)
Ar04.0b1
Arabic letter Dāl (medial/final)
Ar04.1b1
Arabic letter Dhāl (medial/final)
Ar21b1
Arabic letter Rāʾ (medial/final)
Ar07b1
Arabic letter Zāy (medial/final)
Ar22.0c1
Arabic letter Sīn (medial)
Ar22.1c1
Arabic letter Shīn (medial)
Ar19.0c1
Arabic letter Ṣād (medial)
Ar19.1c1
Arabic letter Ḍād (medial)
Ar09.0c1
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ (medial)
Ar09.1c1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ(medial)
Ar16c1
Arabic letter ʿayn (medial)
Ar17c1
Arabic letter Ghayn (medial)
Ar18c1
Arabic letter Fāʾ (medial)
Ar20c1
Arabic letter Qāf (medial)
Ar11a1
Arabic letter Kāf (medial)
Ar12c1
Arabic letter Lām (medial)
Ar13c1
Arabic letter Mīm (medial)
Ar14c1
Arabic letter Nūn (medial)
Ar05c1
Arabic letter Hā (medial)
Ar06b1
Arabic letter Wāw (medial/final)
Ar10c1
Arabic letter Yāʾ (medial)

Final

Ar02b1
Arabic letter Bāʾ (final)
Ar24.0d1
Arabic letter Tāʾ (final)
Ar24.1d1
Arabic letter Thāʾ (final)
Ar03b1
Arabic letter Jīm (final)
Ar08.0d1
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ (final)
Ar08.1d1
Arabic letter Khāʾ (final)
Ar22.0d1
Arabic letter Sīn (final)
Ar22.1d1
Arabic letter Shīn (final)
Ar19.0d1
Arabic letter Ṣād (final)
Ar19.1d1
Arabic letter Ḍād (final)
Ar09.0d1
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ (final)
Ar09.1d1
Arabic letter Ẓāʾ(final)
Ar16d1
Arabic letter ʿayn (final)
Ar17d1
Arabic letter Ghayn (final)
Ar18d1
Arabic letter Fāʾ (final)
Ar20d1
Arabic letter Qāf (final)
Ar11a1
Arabic letter Kāf (final)
Ar12d1
Arabic letter Lām (final)
Ar13d1
Arabic letter Mīm (final)
Ar14d1
Arabic letter Nūn (final)
Ar05d1
Arabic letter Hāʾ (final)
Ar10d1
Arabic letter Yāʾ (final)

Ligatures

Ar1201b
Arabic ligature Lām-ʾalif (medial/final)
Ar1201a
Arabic ligature Lām-ʾalif (isolated/initial)

=

Ar01
Arabic letter ʾalif

+

Ar12
Arabic letter Lām

Diacritics

Often omitted in day to day use.

Ḥarakāt حَرَكَات

Short vowel marks

Ar01_1
Arabic diacritic Fat-ḥah
Ar01_2
Arabic diacritic Kasrah
Ar01_3
Arabic diacritic Ḍammah

Sukūn سُكُونْ

Indicates that the consonant to which it is attached is not followed by a vowel.

Ar02
Arabic letter Bāʾ
Ar02_1
Arabic letter Bāʾ sukūn

Shaddah شَدَّة

Indicates that the consonant is meant to be doubled.

Ar02
Arabic letter Bāʾ
Ar02_2
Arabic letter Bāʾ with shaddah

Epigraphy3,4

Third stanza of Mawṭinī (My Homeland)
in Arabic

Arabic

مَوْطِنِيْ مَوْطِنِيْ
اَلْحُسَامُ وَ الْيَرَاعُ لَا الْكَلَامُ وَالنِّزَاعُ
رَمْزُنَا رَمْزُنَا
مَجْدُنَا وَ عَهْدُنَا وَوَاجِبٌ مِّنَ الْوَفَاء
يَهُزُّنَا يَهُزُّنَا
عِزُّنَا عِزُّنَا
غَايَةٌ تُشَرِّفُ وَ رَايَةٌ تُرَفْرِفُ
يَا هَنَاكْ فِيْ عُلَاكْ
قَاهِراً عِدَاكْ قَاهِراً عِدَاكْ
مَوْطِنِيْ مَوطِنِيْ

Transliteration

Mawṭinī mawṭinī
Al-ḥusāmu wa-l-yarāʿu lā l-kalāmu wa-n-nizāʿu
Ramzunā ramzunā
Majdunā wa ʿahdunā wa-wājibun mina l-wafāʾ
Yahuzzunā yahuzzunā
ʿIzzunā ʿizzunā
Ġāyatun tušarrifu wa rāyatun turafrifu
Yā hanāk fī ʿulāk
Qāhiran ʿidāk qāhirān ʿidāk
Mawṭinī mawṭinī

Translation

My homeland, my homeland,
The sword and the pen, not the talk nor the quarrel
Are our symbols, are our symbols.
Our glory and our covenant, and a faithful duty
Moves us, moves us.
Our glory, our glory,
Is an honorable cause, and a waving flag.
O, behold you, in your eminence,
Victorious over your enemies, victorious over your enemies.
My homeland, my homeland!


Calligraphy5

Ar_Epi01 Ar_Epi02
Ar_Epi03 Ar_Epi04

Extracted from Unit Two: Arabic Script and the Art of Calligraphy, Art of the Islamic World.
To access the full document, click here.

Script comparison1,2,6-9

Writing Script Head of ox House plan Throw stick Nile tilapia Man with arms raised Pear shaped mace Two diagonal strokes Plan of rectangular enclosure Heart and trachea Arm with downward facing palm Hand Crook Water ripple Cobra Reed column Eye Mouth Rush with shoots Cord on stick Head Bow Crossed sticks
Logography
            
32 c. BCE - 4 c. CE
EH01
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. F1
EH02
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. O1
EH03
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. T14
EH04
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. K1
EH05
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. A28
EH06
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. T3
EH07
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. Z4
EH08
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. 06
EH09
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. F35
EH10
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. D42
EH11
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. D46
EH12
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. S39
EH13
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. N35
EH14
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. I10
EH15
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. R11
EH16
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. D4
EH18
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. D21
EH19
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. M22
EH20
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. V24
EH21
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. D1
EH22
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. T9a
EH24
Egyptian Hieroglyph Gardiner's Sign No. Z9
Classical Nabataean
Abjad
            
2 c. BCE - 4 c. CE
N01
Classical Nabataean letter Ālaph
N01a
Classical Nabataean letter Ālaph (final)
N02
Classical Nabataean letter Bēth
N02a
Classical Nabataean letter Bēth (final)
N03
Classical Nabataean letter Gāmal
N04
Classical Nabataean letter Dālath
N05
Classical Nabataean letter Hē
N05a
Classical Nabataean letter Hē (final)
N06
Classical Nabataean letter Waw
N07
Classical Nabataean letter Zain
N08
Classical Nabataean letter Khēth
N09
Classical Nabataean letter Ṭēth
N10
Classical Nabataean letter Iodh
N10a
Classical Nabataean letter Iodh (final)
N11
Classical Nabataean letter Kāph
N11a
Classical Nabataean letter Kāph (final)
N12
Classical Nabataean letter Lāmadh
N12a
Classical Nabataean letter Lāmadh (final)
N13
Classical Nabataean letter Mem
N13a
Classical Nabataean letter Mem (final)
N14
Classical Nabataean letter Nun
N14a
Classical Nabataean letter Nun (final)
N15
Classical Nabataean letter Semkath
N16
Classical Nabataean letter Ayin
N18
Classical Nabataean letter Pē
N19
Classical Nabataean letter Ṩādhē
N20
Classical Nabataean letter Qoph
N21
Classical Nabataean letter Rēš
N22
Classical Nabataean letter Šīn
N22a
Classical Nabataean letter Šīn (final)
N24
Classical Nabataean letter Taw
Late Nabataean
Abjad
            
3 c. CE - 5 c. CE
LN01
Late Nabataean letter Ālaph
LN02
Late Nabataean letter Bēth
LN03
Late Nabataean letter Gāmal
LN04
Late Nabataean letter Dālath
LN05
Late Nabataean letter Hē
LN05a
Late Nabataean letter Hē (final)
LN06
Late Nabataean letter Waw
LN07
Late Nabataean letter Zain
LN08
Late Nabataean letter Khēth
LN09
Late Nabataean letter Ṭēth
LN10
Late Nabataean letter Iodh
LN10a
Late Nabataean letter Iodh (final)
LN11
Late Nabataean letter Kāph
LN12
Late Nabataean letter Lāmadh
LN13
Late Nabataean letter Mem
LN14
Late Nabataean letter Nun
LN15
Late Nabataean letter Semkath
LN16
Late Nabataean letter Ayin
LN18
Late Nabataean letter Pē
LN19
Late Nabataean letter Ṩādhē
LN20
Late Nabataean letter Qoph
LN21
Late Nabataean letter Rēš
LN22
Late Nabataean letter Šīn
LN24
Late Nabataean letter Taw
Arabic
Abjad
            
4 c. CE - Present
Ar01
Arabic letter ʾalif
Ar02
Arabic letter Bāʾ
Ar03
Arabic letter Jīm
Ar04.0
Arabic letter Dāl
Ar05
Arabic letter Hāʾ
Ar06
Arabic letter Wāw
Ar07
Arabic letter Zāy
Ar08.0
Arabic letter Ḥāʾ
Ar09.0
Arabic letter Ṭāʾ
Ar10
Arabic letter Yāʾ
Ar11
Arabic letter Kāf
Ar12
Arabic letter Lām
Ar13
Arabic letter Mīm
Ar14
Arabic letter Nūn
Ar16
Arabic letter ʿayn
Ar18
Arabic letter Fāʾ
Ar19.0
Arabic letter Ṣād
Ar20
Arabic letter Qāf
Ar21
Arabic letter Rāʾ
Ar22.0
Arabic letter Sīn
Ar24
Arabic letter Tāʾ

Lineage1,6-14


Egyptian Hieroglyphs
 ↳Hieratic Egyptian
  ↳Proto-Sinaitic
   ↳Phoenician
    ↳Imperial Aramaic
     ↳Classical Nabataean
      ↳Late Nabataean
       ↳Arabic

Arab

Commission artwork by Camiblux (Fiverr page - here)