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:
“The naturalistic literature of this country has reached such a state that no family of characters is considered true to life which does not include at least two hypochondriacs, one sadist, and one old man who spills food down the front of his vest.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)
“Of all the characters I have known, perhaps Walden wears best, and best preserves its purity. Many men have been likened to it, but few deserve that honor. Though the woodchoppers have laid bare first this shore and then that, and the Irish have built their sties by it, and the railroad has infringed on its border, and the ice-men have skimmed it once, it is itself unchanged, the same water which my youthful eyes fell on; all the change is in me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)