Jawi (; ace, Jawoë;
Kelantan-Pattani: ''Yawi''; ) is a
writing system
A writing system is a method of visually representing verbal communication, based on a script and a set of rules regulating its use. While both writing and speech are useful in conveying messages, writing differs in also being a reliable for ...
used for writing several languages of Southeast Asia, such as
Acehnese,
Banjarese,
Kerinci,
Maguindanaon
Maguindanao (, Jawi: ), Maguindanaon or Magindanao is an Austronesian language spoken by a majority of the population of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur in the Philippines. It is also spoken by sizable minorities in different par ...
,
Malay,
Minangkabau,
Tausūg, and
Ternate. Jawi is based on the
Arabic script, consisting of all of the original 31 Arabic letters, and six additional letters constructed to fit the
phoneme
In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language.
For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-wes ...
s native to Malay, and an additional phoneme used in foreign loanwords, but not found in Classical Arabic, which are ''ca'' ( ), ''nga'' ( ), ''pa'' ( ), ''ga'' ( ), ''va'' ( ), and ''nya'' ( ).
Jawi was developed from the
advent of Islam
Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.
The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''.
In ...
in the
Maritime Southeast Asia, supplanting the earlier
Brahmic scripts
The Brahmic scripts, also known as Indic scripts, are a family of abugida writing systems. They are used throughout the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia. They are descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India ...
used during Hindu-Buddhist era. The oldest evidence of Jawi writing can be found on the 14th century
Terengganu Inscription Stone, recorded in
Classical Malay language that contains a mixture of Malay, Sanskrit and Arabic vocabularies. There are two competing theories on the origin of the Jawi alphabet. Popular theory suggests that the system was developed and derived directly from the
Arabic script, while scholars like
R. O. Windstedt suggest that it was developed through the influence of
Perso-Arabic alphabet.
The ensuing trade expansions and the spread of Islam to other areas of Southeast Asia from the 15th century had brought the Jawi alphabet beyond the traditional Malay-speaking world. Until the 20th century, Jawi remained as the standard script of the Malay language. The use of Jawi heralded the birth of traditional Malay literature, when it was featured prominently in the royal correspondences, religious texts and literary publications. With the arrival of Western influence through colonization and education, Jawi was relegated to scripts for religious education, with the Malay language eventually adopting the
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the ...
called ''
Rumi'' in general usage.
Today, Jawi is one of the two official scripts in
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
. In Malaysia, the position of Jawi is protected under Section 9 of the National Language Act 1963/1967, as it retains a degree of official use in religious and cultural administration. In some states, most notably
Kelantan,
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
and
Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
, Jawi attained the co-official script status, where businesses are mandated to adopt Jawi signages and billboards. Jawi is also used as an alternative script among Malay communities in Indonesia and Thailand.
Until the early 20th century, there was no uniform spelling system for Jawi. The earliest orthographic reform to develop a standard spelling was in 1937 by The Malay Language and Johor Royal Literary Book Pact. This was followed by another reform by
Za'aba
Tan Sri Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad (16 September 1895 – 23 October 1973) or better known by the moniker Za'aba (alternatively spelled ''Za'ba''), was a Malaysian writer and linguist. He
modernised the Malay language with the publication of a ser ...
published in 1949. The final major reform was in 1986 under the name 'Enhanced Guidelines of Jawi Spelling' which made Za'aba Spelling as its basis. Jawi can be typed using the
Jawi keyboard.
Etymology
According to
Kamus Dewan, "Jawi" () is a term synonymous to '
Malay'.
The term has been used interchangeably with 'Malay' in other terms including ''Bahasa Jawi'' or ''Bahasa Yawi'' (
Kelantan-Pattani Malay
Kelantan-Pattani Malay (; ; in Pattani; in Kelantan) is an Austronesian language of the Malayic subfamily spoken in the Malaysian state of Kelantan and the neighbouring southernmost provinces of Thailand. It is the primary spoken language of ...
, a
Malay dialect used in
Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus.
Geography
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , boun ...
), ''Masuk Jawi'' (literally "to become Malay", referring to the practice of
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topic ...
to symbolise the
coming of age), and ''Jawi pekan'' or ''
Jawi Peranakan'' (literally 'Malay of the town' or 'Malay born of', referring to the Malay-speaking Muslims of mixed Malay and Indian ancestry). With verb-building
circumfixes ''men-...-kan'', ''menjawikan'' (literally 'to make something Malay'), also refers to the act of translating a foreign text into Malay language. The word ''Tulisan Jawi'' that means "Jawi script" is another derivative that carries the meaning 'Malay script'.
[
]
Early history
Prior to the onset of Islamisation, the Pallava script, Nagari, and old Sumatran scripts were used in writing the Malay language. This is evidenced from the discovery of several stone inscriptions in Old Malay
Malay was first used in the first millennia known as Old Malay, a part of the Austronesian language family. Over a period of two millennia, Malay has undergone various stages of development that derived from different layers of foreign influen ...
, notably the Kedukan Bukit inscription and Talang Tuo inscription. The spread of Islam in Southeast Asia and the subsequent introduction of Arabic writing system began with the arrival of Muslim merchants in the region since the seventh century. Among the oldest archaeological artefacts inscribed with Arabic script are; a tombstone of Syeikh Rukunuddin dated 48 AH (668/669 CE) in Barus, Sumatra; a tombstone dated 290 AH (910 CE) on the mausoleum of Syeikh Abdul Qadir Ibn Husin Syah Alam located in Alor Setar, Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainla ...
; a tombstone found in Pekan, Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
dated 419 AH (1026 CE); a tombstone discovered in Phan Rang, Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
dated 431 AH (1039 CE); a tombstone dated 440 AH (1048 CE) found in Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the ...
, Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
; and a tombstone of Fatimah Binti Maimun Bin Hibat Allah found in Gresik, East Java dated 475 AH (1082 CE). Islam was spread from the coasts to the interior of the island and generally in a top-down process in which rulers were converted and then introduced more or less orthodox versions of Islam to their peoples. The conversion of King Phra Ong Mahawangsa
Paduka Sri Sultan Mudzaffar Shah I, (died 27 July 1179) styled ''Phra Ong Mahawangsa'' was a legendary king and was said to be the first Sultan of Kedah, according to Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. He was the last Hindu king of Kedah, styled ''Sri P ...
of Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainla ...
in 1136 and King Merah Silu of Samudra Pasai in 1267 were among the earliest examples.
At the early stage of Islamisation, the Arabic script was taught to the people who had newly embraced Islam in the form of religious practices, such as the recitation of Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
as well as salat. The Arabic script was accepted by the Malay community together with their acceptance of Islam and was adapted to suit spoken Classical Malay. Six letters were added for sounds not found in Arabic: ''ca'', ''pa'', ''ga'', ''nga'', ''va'' and ''nya''. Some Arabic letters are rarely used as they represent sounds not present in modern Malay however may be used to reflect the original spelling of Arabic loanwords. The sounds represented by these letters may be assimilated into sounds found in Malay's native phoneme inventory or in some instances appear unchanged. Like the other Arabic scripts, some letters are obligatorily joined while some are never joined. This was the same for the acceptance of Arabic writing in Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkme ...
and India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
which had taken place earlier and thus, the Jawi script was then deemed as the writing of the Muslims.
The oldest remains of Malay using the Jawi script have been found on the Terengganu Inscription Stone, dated 702 AH (1303 CE), nearly 600 years after the date of the first recorded existence of Arabic script in the region. The inscription on the stone contains a proclamation issued by the "Sri Paduka Tuan" of Terengganu, urging his subjects to "extend and uphold" Islam and providing 10 basic Sharia laws for their guidance. This has attested the strong observance of the Muslim faith in the early 14th century Terengganu specifically and the Malay world as a whole.
The development of Jawi script was different from that of Pallava writing which was exclusively restricted to the nobility and monks in monasteries. The Jawi script was embraced by the entire Muslim community regardless of class. With the increased intensity in the appreciation of Islam, scriptures originally written in Arabic were translated in Malay and written in the Jawi script. Additionally local religious scholars later began to elucidate the Islamic teachings in the forms of original writings. Moreover, there were also individuals of the community who used Jawi for the writing of literature which previously existed and spread orally. With this inclusion of written literature, Malay literature
Malaysian literature is the collection of literary works produced in the Malay peninsula until 1963 and in Malaysia thereafter. Malaysian literature is typically written in any of the country's four main languages: Malay, English, Chinese and ...
took on a more sophisticated form. This was believed to have taken place from the 15th century and lasted right up to the 19th century.
Other forms of Arabic-based scripts existed in the region, notably the Pegon alphabet used for Javanese in Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
and the Serang alphabet used for Buginese in South Sulawesi. Both writing systems applied extensive use of Arabic diacritics
The Arabic script has numerous diacritics, which include: consonant pointing known as (), and supplementary diacritics known as (). The latter include the vowel marks termed (; singular: , ').
The Arabic script is a modified abjad, where s ...
and added several letters which were formed differently from Jawi letters to suit the languages. Due to their fairly limited usage, the spelling system of both scripts did not undergo similar advanced developments and modifications as experienced by Jawi.
The spread and extent of Jawi script
The script became prominent with the spread of Islam, supplanting the earlier writing systems. The Malays held the script in high esteem as it is the gateway to understanding Islam and its Holy Book, the Quran. The use of Jawi script was a key factor driving the emergence of Malay as the lingua franca of the region, alongside the spread of Islam. It was widely used in the Sultanate of Malacca, Sultanate of Johor, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Sulu, Sultanate of Pattani, the Sultanate of Aceh to the Sultanate of Ternate in the east as early as the 15th century. The Jawi script was used in royal correspondences, decrees, poems and was widely understood by the merchants in the port of Malacca as the main means of communication. Early legal digests such as the '' Undang-Undang Melaka'' Code and its derivatives including the Codes of Johor, Perak, Brunei, Kedah, Pattani and Aceh were written in this script. It is the medium of expression of kings, nobility and the religious scholars. It is the traditional symbol of Malay culture and civilisation. Jawi was used not only amongst the ruling class, but also the common people. The Islamisation and Malayisation of the region popularised Jawi into a dominant script.[''The Legacy of the Malay Letter'', Annabel Teh Gallop, The British Library and Arkib Negara Malaysia, .]
Royal correspondences for example are written, embellished and ceremoniously delivered. Examples of royal correspondences still in the good condition are the letter between Sultan Hayat of Ternate and King John III of Portugal
John III ( pt, João III ; 7 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious ( Portuguese: ''o Piedoso''), was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1521 until his death in 1557. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the ...
(1521), the letter from Sultan Iskandar Muda of Acèh Darussalam to King James I of England (1615), and the letter from Sultan Abdul Jalil ʻAbd al-Jalīl (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الجليل) is a Muslim male given name, also used by Christians, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Jalīl'', one of the names of God in the Qur' ...
IV of Johor to King Louis XV of France
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...
(1719). Many literary works such as epics, poetry and prose use the Jawi script. It is the pinnacle of the classic Malay civilisation. Historical epics such as the '' Malay Annals'', as listed by UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
under Memories of the World, are among the countless epics written by the Malay people. The Sufic poems by Hamzah Fansuri and many others contributed to the richness and depth of the Malay civilisation. Jawi script was the official script for the Unfederated Malay States
The term Unfederated Malay States () was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu. In contr ...
when they were British protectorates.
Jawi today
Today, Jawi is one of the official scripts of Brunei. In Malaysia, it is used for religious and cultural administration in the states of Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
, Kelantan, Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainla ...
, Perlis
Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces ...
, Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
, Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
and Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime b ...
. Various efforts were in place to revive the Jawi script in Malaysia and Brunei due to its role in the Malay and Islamic spheres. Jawi scripts are also seen at the rear of Malaysian ringgit and Brunei dollar
The Brunei dollar (sign: B$, Malay: ''ringgit Brunei'', currency code: ''BND''), has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from o ...
banknotes. The Malays in Patani still use Jawi today for the same reasons.
In Malaysia
In August 2019, the Malaysian Government's plans to introduce the teaching of Jawi at the most basic level in ethnic Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools attracted opposition from ethnic Chinese and Indian education groups, which claimed that the move would lead to an Islamization of the Malaysian education system. The Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zong
A Chinese independent high school () is a type of private high school in Malaysia. They provide secondary education in the Chinese language as the continuation of the primary education in Chinese national-type primary schools. The main mediu ...
organised a conference calling on the Malaysian Government to rescind its decision in late December 2019. Perhaps fearing violence, the Malaysian Police obtained a court injunction against it on the grounds that it would trigger ethnic tensions.
The state government of Kedah in Malaysia has long defended the use of Jawi in the state. The Menteri Besar of Kedah has denied the allegation that the state government was trying to create an Islamic state ambience by promoting the use of Jawi in 2008, saying that it is a normal occurrence evidenced by Chinese coffeeshops and pawnshops having signboards written in Jawi. This can further be seen later on when the Kedah state government has shown its support with Johor state government's move to use Jawi in official matters in 2019. The exco of local authority of the state of Kedah had also stated that the Jawi script in billboards in Kedah is not forbidden, but rather recommended. He claims that the recommendation to use Jawi script has been gazetted in the state law, and that it has been part of the state identity to have billboards in Jawi script in addition to other scripts. He also stated that there are high demands in incorporating Jawi script in billboards in Kedah.
Kuantan, the state capital of Pahang in Malaysia has introduced the usage of Jawi in all signages across the city from 1 August 2019. This was done after a recommendation from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who was then the Regent of Pahang, to uphold the usage of the writing system. The Pahang state government has since expanded the order and made it mandatory for every signage state-wide including road signs to display Jawi alongside other scripts from 1 January 2020 after being delayed a few times. Premises that fail to comply with this order will be fined up to a maximum of RM250, with the possibility of revocation of their business licences if they still do not comply afterwards. In the early stage, usage of Jawi stickers are allowed to put on existing signage instead of replacing the whole signage.
In Indonesia
Indonesia, having multiple regional and native languages, uses the Latin script for writing its own standard of Malay in general. Nonetheless, the Jawi script does have a regional status in native Malay areas such as Riau, Riau archipelago, Jambi, South Sumatra (i.e Palembang Malay language), Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, and Kalimantan
Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo.
In 2019, ...
(i.e Banjar language).[TULISAN ARAB MELAYU BAGIAN DARI KHAZANAH BUDAYA RIAU]
This is due to the fact that regional and native languages are compulsory studies in the basic education curriculum of each region (examples include Javanese for Javanese regions, Sundanese for Sundanese regions, Madurese for Maduranese regions, and Jawi for Malay regions). Jawi script is widely used in Riau and Riau Island province, where road signs and government building signs are written in this script. A sister variant of Jawi known as Pegon is used to write Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese and is still widely used in traditional religious schools across Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
, but has been supplanted in common writing by the Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the ...
and, in some cases, Javanese script and Sundanese script.
Letters
* Letters with no initial and middle forms adopt either isolated or final form, because they cannot be joined with suffixing letter. (, , , , , , )
* The letter ''hamzah'' may also appear in its three-quarter form "" (''hamzah tiga suku''), above ''alif'' "أ", below ''alif'' "إ" or housed (above ''ya'' "ئ" or ''wau'' "ؤ"). /sup>">/sup>
Spelling
Modern Jawi spelling is based on the ''Daftar Kata Bahasa Melayu'' (DKBM)'': Rumi-Sebutan-Jawi'' dictionary. Older texts may use different spellings for some words. Nonetheless, even different modern sources may use different spelling conventions; they may differ especially in the usage of the mater lectionis (''alif'' "ا", ''wau'' "و" and ''ya'' "ي") and the '' hamzah tiga suku'' "", as well as in the spelling of vowels and consonant clusters in loanwords from English. One source tends to use the following conventions; there are numerous exceptions to them nonetheless.
* Loanwords
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because the ...
may be spelled differently. Particularly, loanwords from Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
often keep their original spellings.
: The letters ''sa'' "ث", ''ha'' "ح", ''kha'' "خ", ''zal'' "ذ", ''sad'' "ص", ''dad'' "ض", ''ta'' "ط", ''za'' "ظ", ''ain'' "ع", ''ghain'' "غ", ''ta marbutah'' "ة" are mostly used to spell Arabic loanwords, e.g. ''Selasa'' "ثلاث", ''huruf'' "حروف", ''khabar'' "خبر", ''beza'' "بيذا", ''fasal'' "فصل", ''darurat'' "ضرورة", ''talak'' "طلاق", ''zohor'' "ظهر", ''saat'' "ساعة", ''ghaib'' "غيب", ''sunat'' "سنة", ''khasiat'' " خصية". The letter ''va'' "ۏ" is mostly used to spell English loanwords, e.g. ''universiti'' "اونيۏرسيتي". The letters ''zai'' "ز", ''syin'' "ش", ''fa'' "ف", ''ye'' "ى" are mostly used to spell loanwords from English or Arabic e.g. ''zoo'' "زو", ''zapin'' "زاڤين", ''syif'' "شيف", ''syukur'' "شکور", ''filem'' "فيلم", ''fakir'' "فقير", ''nasionalisme'' "ناسيوناليسمى", ''takwa'' "تقوى".
: Rumi ''x'' used to spell loanwords from English may be spelled using different Jawi letters, depending on pronunciation, e.g. ''kaf''-''sin'' "کس" in X''-ray'' "ايکس-راي", ''zai'' "ز" in ''xenon'' "زينون".
: Native Malay root morphemes with Rumi ''k'' in the syllable coda are pronounced and are written with ''qaf'' "ق", e.g. ''tengok'' "تيڠوق", ''laksa'', "لقسا", ''baiklah'' "بايقله", ''kotakku'' "کوتقکو", ''kotakmu'' "کوتقمو". Loanwords from English with Rumi ''k'' are spelled with ''kaf'' "ک", e.g. ''klinik'' "کلينيک", ''teksi'' "تيکسي".
: The letter ''fa'' "ف" was historically used to represent /p/ (Jawi: ''pa'' "ڤ") and such usage may still be found in archaic Jawi spellings. This is because /f/ is a non-native consonant in Malay found only in loanwords and in the past was often approximated as a /p/.
* Though there are exceptions, vowels and diphthongs tend to be spelled this way:
* When spelling vowels, there are many exceptions to the conventions stated above and below. Common exceptions include ''ada'' "اد", ''di'' "د", ''dia'' "دي" ''dan'' "دان", ''ia'' "اي", ''jika'' "جک", ''juga'' "جوݢ", ''lima'' "ليم", ''ke'' "ک", ''kita'' "کيت", ''mereka'' "مريک", ''ini'' "اين", ''itu'' "ايت", ''pada'' "ڤد", ''suka'' "سوک" and ''tiga'' "تيݢ".
* Some words spelled distinctly in Rumi may be homographs
A homograph (from the el, ὁμός, ''homós'', "same" and γράφω, ''gráphō'', "write") is a word that shares the same written form as another word but has a different meaning. However, some dictionaries insist that the words must also ...
in Jawi, e.g. ''sembilan'' and ''sambilan'' are both "سمبيلن", ''markah'' and ''merekah'' are both "مرکه", ''sesi'' and ''sisi'' are both "سيسي", ''biro'' and ''biru'' are both "بيرو", ''borong'' and ''burung'' are both "بوروڠ", ''golong'' and ''gulung'' are both "ݢولوڠ".
* Using or omitting ''alif'' "ا" when representing /a/ in closed syllables and in the last letter of a root morpheme:
: When representing /a/, ''alif'' "ا" is mostly omitted in C V C-syllables.
: However, it is usually not omitted in monosyllabic words that start with ''wau'' "و", e.g. ''wau'' "واو", ''wap'' "واڤ", ''wang'' "واڠ".
: It is also usually not omitted in root morphemes which first syllable is open and contains /e/ and which second syllable is closed and begins with /wa/, e.g. words with a /Ce.waC/ structure (where each C is a consonant) like ''lewah'' "ليواه", ''mewah'' "ميواه", ''dewan'' "ديوان", ''tewas'' " تيواس", ''rewang'' " ريواڠ", ''gewang'' "ݢواڠ", ''sewat'' "سيوات", ''kelewang'' "کليواڠ", ''kedewas'' "کديواس", ''dewangga'' "ديواڠݢ".
: Final ''alif'' "ا" is generally kept to represent /a/ at the end of a word.
: However, in native Malay disyllabic root morphemes with the form /Ca.C*a/ a.C*ə where /C*/ is any of the following 12 consonants ''ba'' "ب", ''ta'' "ت", ''pa'' "ڤ", ''sin'' "س", ''ga'' "ݢ", ''nun'' "ن", ''nya'' "ڽ", ''ca'' "چ", ''kaf'' "ک", ''jim'' "ج", ''mim'' "م" (mnemonic
A mnemonic ( ) device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory for better understanding.
Mnemonics make use of elaborative encoding, retrieval cues, and image ...
: ''betapa segannya cik jam'' "بتاڤ سݢنڽ چيق جم"), final ''alif'' "ا" is not written, e.g. ''raba'' "راب", ''mata'' "مات", ''sapa'' "ساڤ", ''rasa'' "راس", ''raga'' "راݢ", ''mana'' "مان", ''hanya'' "هاڽ", ''baca'' "باچ", ''raya'' "راي", ''baka'' "باک", ''raja'' "راج", ''nama'' "نام", ''sama'' "سام".
: Some native Malay trisyllabic root morphemes ending with /a/ with three open syllables and which include the abovementioned 12 consonants, may also omit the final ''alif'' "ا".
* As the final letter of a word, root morpheme-final /ə/ that is spelled with ''e'' in Rumi may be represented by ''ye'' "ى" in Jawi. In the middle of a word, root morpheme-final /ə/ that is spelled with ''e'' in Rumi may be represented by ''alif'' "ا" in Jawi instead, e.g. ''fatwa'' "فتوى" → ''memfatwakan'' "ممفتواکن", ''memetabolismekan'' "ممتابوليسماکن".
* The ''hamzah'' may be used to spell some diphthongs. Sources differ as to whether and when it should be on the line "ء", or placed above the previous mater lectionis, such as in ''alif'' with ''hamzah'' above "أ", or even if it should be used at all in some words.
: Furthermore, it may be used to represent a hiatus, or a glottal stop especially when (but not limited to) separating vowels at the boundary of a root morpheme and an affix, e.g. ''dato'' "داتو", ''baik'' "بايق", ''mulai'' "مولاي", ''bau'' "باو", ''daun'' "داون", ''laut'' "لاوت", ''peperiksaan'' "ڤڤريقسان", ''kemerdekaan'' "کمرديکان", ''diambil'' "دأمبيل", ''dielakkan'' "دأيلقکن", ''diertikan'' "دأرتيکن", ''diikuti'' "دأيکوتي", ''diolah'' "دأوله", ''diutamakan'' "دأوتاماکن", ''keadaan'' "کأدان", ''keempat'' "کأمڤت", ''keindahan'' "کأيندهن", ''keupayaan'' "کأوڤايان", ''seakan-akan'' "سأکن-اکن", ''seekor'' "سأيکور", ''seorang'' "سأورڠ", ''e-mel'' "إي-ميل", ''eh!'' "إيه!", ''ateisme'' "اتيئيسمى", ''diet'' "ديئت".
* Arabic numerals
Arabic numerals are the ten numerical digits: , , , , , , , , and . They are the most commonly used symbols to write decimal numbers. They are also used for writing numbers in other systems such as octal, and for writing identifiers such as ...
are the preferred form for writing numerals in Jawi script, Eastern Arabic numerals are generally not used (except when indicating plural words, i.e. ''askar-askar'' = "عسکر٢").
: Full reduplication of base word is represented with the numeral "٢", e.g. ''anak-anak'' "انق٢", while suffixed reduplication of base word is represented with the hypen "-", e.g. ''berhati-hati'' "برهاتي-هاتي", ''sayur-sayuran'' "سايور-سايورن", and ''gunung-ganang'' "ݢونوڠ-ݢانڠ".
*Punctuation
Punctuation (or sometimes interpunction) is the use of spacing, conventional signs (called punctuation marks), and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of written text, whether read silently or aloud. A ...
marks used in written Jawi are as follows:
Examples
Akin to the Arabic script, Jawi is constructed from right-to-left. Below is an exemplification of the Jawi script extracted from the first and second verse of the notable , ( English: A Ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
for Rabiah).
References
Further reading
* Hudson, Herbert Henr
''The Malay orthography''
(1892) Singapore, Kelly & Walsh.
* H.S. Paterson (& C.O. Blagden), 'An early Malay Inscription from 14th-century Terengganu', ''Journ. Mal. Br.R.A.S.'', II, 1924, pp. 258–263.
* R.O. Winstedt, ''A History of Malaya'', revised ed. 1962, p. 40.
* J.G. de Casparis, ''Indonesian Paleography'', 1975, p. 70–71.
External links
Software and articles related to Jawi
Transliteration of Rumi to Jawi
Book of Common Prayer in Jawi Script
digitized by Richard Mammana
Jawi Transliteration Project , Southeast Asia Digital Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jawi Script
Arabic alphabets
Indonesian scripts
Malay language
Jawi script