Writing System
Salar used to be written in Arabic script, they still use it at present. There are calls to standardize the Arabic based script for Salar. However, the Chinese government has refused to do so, rejecting both calls by some Salar for a Latin script, and calls by Salar elders who disliked the Latin script to help standardize the Arabic script, leaving the Salar language without an official script. This lack of an official script has led the Salar to use Chinese writing.
Despite there being an unofficial Latin-script alphabet based on the orthography for Turkic languages for the Salar, the Latin script is unpopular among the Salar and has failed to catch on. Arabic script is much more popular among Salar. The Arabic script has historical precedent among the Salar, centuries old documents in the Salar language were written in the Arabic script when discovered.
Read more about this topic: Salar Language
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