Arabic writing: history, features

Currently, more than seven percent of the populationthe planet uses Arabic for its communication. Its writing is applied in twenty-two states, and the modification is common among the peoples of India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other countries. When considering the features of this letter, you can see he has a lot of advantages, as well as the beauty of the sound of Arabic words and speech.

Origin origins

The history of Arabic writing originates fromfrom the alphabet, which was created by the Phoenicians living in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Thanks to the fact that this nation led its trade around the Mediterranean coast, their letter affected the development of many alphabets in the region.

Thus, the Phoenician scriptdeveloped immediately in several directions, one of which - the Greek alphabet, and a little later and Latin. His second branch was reflected in the Aramaic speech, which, in turn, was divided into Hebrew and the Nabatean alphabet, which came into use from the second century BC in the territory of the modern Jordan. Subsequently, the Arabic script appeared there.

Further development

Such a letter has already become firmly established infourth century AD, when the alphabet was fully formed. Then it was already possible to trace in it the traits with which modern Arabic writing is endowed. For example, two or three phonemes could be designated by the same sign at once, which later became different with diacritical points. The consonants were written with the signs of shadd, and later the vowels began to appear. The emergence of Arabic script is still a little obliged to such ancient peoples as the Semites, since it is they who have borrowed the form of their letters from them.

Spelling began to emerge a little later,when it became necessary to write a holy book of all Muslims - the Koran. Previously, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad were spread through oral speech, which subsequently led to their distortion. After this, thanks to the great influence of Islam, this letter became one of the most widespread in the world. Now it can be found in many regions of Africa, Central and West Asia, Europe and even America.

Features of writing

Arabic writing is similar to Russian in that inIt also uses letters, not hieroglyphics. Words and sentences are written from right to left. Another distinguishing feature of this letter is that there are no capital letters in it. All names, the first words in sentences are put on paper solely from a small symbol. Punctuation marks are written in an inverted form, which is also unusual for the Russian-speaking population.

Arabic writing is different from many othersthe fact that only consonant and long vowel sounds are depicted on the sheet, while the brief ones are not displayed at all and are only reproduced in speech. At the same time, there is no confusion in reading, due to the fact that these sounds are recorded with the help of various superscripts, as well as subscripts. The alphabet of the Arabs consists of 28 letters. At the same time 22 of them have four forms of their writing, and 6 - only two.

Varieties of early style

Types of standard Arabic writing are represented by six different handwritings, three of which originated a little earlier than others:

• The first of these is Kufi. It is the oldest and is based on geometric rules combined with ornamentation. In writing this style, use straight lines, angles. They are applied to paper using drawing tools. For this handwriting is characterized by consistency and majesty, rigor and solemnity. Due to these qualities it was used to write the main book of Muslims. Also this style of writing can be seen on Arab coins and mosques.
• A little later came sulsy. Translation of its name literally sounds like a "third", since its signs are three times smaller in size than in Kufi. It is considered to be an ornamental handwriting. Therefore, sulce is often used in various subheadings and important messages. A distinctive feature of this handwriting is its letters, having a curved appearance with some hooks on their end.
• NASH. It was created around the tenth century. Characteristic features of the style are small horizontal "stitches", while the words are always between the intervals. In the modern world, it is mainly used for publishing books and printing periodicals.

Types of the late period

These three styles were invented a little later than the above handwriting. These include the following types of Arabic script:

• Talik. He appeared in the Iranian state and was originally called Farsi. When you write it, the letters gradually move from the top to the bottom, so you can think that the words are written on the diagonally. In this style, the letters have a smooth outline. It is mainly distributed in South Asia, as well as in India.
• Handwriting rikya. It is based on ancient types of writing. Literally its name is translated as "a small leaflet". It is a fairly concise style, and also the easiest to write, so it is most often used for notes and at home.
• Style sofa. He is often used in the government chancery. For example, various orders, official letters and other types of state correspondence are written in such a handwriting.

Monumental style

Arabic writing of this varietyIt is used most often on any solid materials, stones and metal. It can be seen on various architectural monuments and monuments, as well as on mosques, stelae and coins. For this handwriting is characterized by angularity and scale, therefore it is a purely hand-written form. This style is applied to the material in a continuous letter and tends to be smooth.

From all of the above, it can be concluded that the Arabic script is not difficult in itself, if you study it without unnecessary emotions and fears in the right sequence.

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