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 first glance at History convinces us that the actions of men proceed from their needs, their passions, their characters and talents; and impresses us with the belief that such needs, passions and interests are the sole spring of actions.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (17701831)
“There are as many characters in men
As there are shapes in nature.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)