Arabi Malayalam

Arabi Malayalam (Malayalam script : അറബി മലയാളം, Arabi Malayalam: اربِ ملیالم) is a system of writing Malayalam language in a variant form of Arabic script.It is a blend of Malayalam grammatical base, Arabic script with special orthographic features, and vocabulary from Malayalam, Arabic, Tamil, Urdu and Persian. Though this originated in the South Indian region of the Malabar, today the script is mainly used in Malaysia and Singapore by the migrant Muslim community. It is also used to teach Malayalam in Madrassas of Kerala and Lakshadweep. Until the 20th century, the script was widely taught to all Muslims in Kerala, including women. Most of the Mappila Songs are written in Arabi-Malayalam script. The earliest known such work is the Muhyidheen Mala, written in 1607. Over the centuries, almost 3000 Arabic words used in Arabi-Malayalam came to be assimilated to the Malayalam language. Many of them relate to law, administration and commerce, indicating the areas where the Muslim influence, especially in the lands under the Zamorin.