Perso-Arabic Alphabet - Languages Using The Perso-Arabic Script

Languages Using The Perso-Arabic Script

Current Use

  • Azerbaijani (Iran)
  • Balochi
  • Brahui
  • Dari (Eastern Persian)
  • Gilaki
  • Kashmiri
  • Kazakh In China and Iran
  • Kurdish (Kurmanji dialect in Iran and Iraq, Soranî dialect)
  • Kyrgyz in China and Afghanistan
  • Laki
  • Luri
  • Pashto language
  • Marwari also known as Rajasthani
  • Mazandarani
  • Persian, except when it appears as Tajik
  • Western Punjabi (Shahmukhi script)
  • Qashqai
  • Sindhi
  • Saraiki
  • Tajik in Afghanistan by ethnic Tajiks
  • Turkmen in İran and Afghanistan
  • Urdu
  • Burushaski
  • Uzbek in China and Afghanistan
  • Uyghur (used different writing systems, cf. Uyghur alphabet)
  • Chinese Xiaoerjin, a modified Perso Arabic script

Former Use
A number of languages have used the Perso-Arabic script before, but have since changed.

  • Azerbaijani in the Republic of Azerbaijan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic, and switched back to Latin recently)
  • Chaghatay Turkic (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic)
  • Kazakh in the Republic of Kazakhstan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic)
  • Kyrgyz in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic)
  • Turkish (changed to Latin)
  • Tajik in the Republic of Tajikistan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic)
  • Turkmen in the Republic of Turkmenistan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic, and switched back to Latin recently)
  • Uzbek in the Republic of Uzbekistan (changed first to Latin, then Cyrillic, and switched back to Latin recently)

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