Other Characters
The following are not actual letters but different orthographical shapes for letters, and in the case of the lām alef, a ligature. As to ﺀ hamze, it has only a single graphic, since it is never tied to a preceding or following letter. However, it is sometimes 'seated' on a vāv, ye or alef, and in that case the seat behaves like an ordinary vāv, ye or alef respectively. Technically, hamze is not a letter but a diacritic.
| Name | Transliteration | IPA | Final | Medial | Initial | Stand-alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alef madde | ā | ﺂ | — | — | ﺁ | |
| he ye | -eye or -eyeh | ﮥ | — | — | ۀ | |
| lām alef | lā | ﻼ | — | — | ﻻ | |
| tanvin nasb | -an | ـاً | — | — | اً |
Although at first glance they may seem similar, there are many differences in the way the different languages use the alphabets. For example, similar words are written differently in Persian and Arabic, as they are used differently.
The Persian alphabet adds four letters to the Arabic alphabet, (ch in chair), (s in measure):
| Sound | Shape | Unicode name |
|---|---|---|
| پ | pe | |
| (ch) | چ | che |
| (zh) | ژ | zhe |
| گ | gaf |
Read more about this topic: Persian Alphabet
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“To marry a man out of pity is folly; and, if you think you are going to influence the kind of fellow who has “never had a chance, poor devil,” you are profoundly mistaken. One can only influence the strong characters in life, not the weak; and it is the height of vanity to suppose that you can make an honest man of anyone.”
—Margot Asquith (1864–1945)