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Before the British rule (1843 A.D), in Sindh, different writing systems were in vogue for the Sindhi language. Besides the Arabic
Sindhi(also called Perso-Arabic and ‘Ab-ul-Hasan Sindhi’), various forms of Devanagari Sindhi were used for Sindhi.
The poetry of Qazi Qadan (1463-1551), Dadu Dayal (1544-1603) and Prannath (1618-1694), etc was recorded in Devanagari.
Chaliha-Akhari (the forty letter system) based on old Devanagari, was used by Ismaili Muslims for religious and other
writings.
Many manuscripts in this script are preserved by Memons and KhoJas. Lunda, (also known as ‘Haţai’ or ‘Haţavaniki’)- an old form
of Devanagari, was used by the Hindu-Sindhi traders. Captain stack, Trumpp and some other scholars were in favour to use one or the
other form of Devanagari for the Sindhi language. Gurmukhi (an improved form of Lunda, Devanagari and Sharda scripts, being
used for PanJabi) was used for religious and literary writings. Sami (1743-1850) a great Sindhi saint poet wrote his ‘Slokas’
in Gurmukhi.
In the later part of 19th Century, when British rulers decided to introduce Sindhi for formal education and local administration,
, _____ the Arabic Script was officially recognized for the
Sindhi language. The use of other scripts was also continued in their respective domains.
In the Pre-British period there was no uniformity in the Arabic-Sindhi writing systems. In 1853 A.D. an eight-member committee
was appointed by the government to standardize the Sindhi Arabic alphabet. A modified alphabet suggested by the committee was
accepted by the government, which is being used for the language.
After the Partition (1947), about a million Hindu Sindhis migrated from Sindh (Pakistan) and scattered all over India.
The movement of reviving the Devanagari Sindhi was started from then. Being a rich literary language it was included in the Indian
Constitution as the 15th scheduled language on 10th April 1967.
At present, the Devanagari Sindhi and Arabic Sindhi are officially recognized for Sindhi in India, while in Pakistan only the Arabic
Sindhi is used for the language.
The Devanagari Sindhi is an adoptation of modern Devanagari being used for Hindi , Marathi etc. with addition of a dot (putting below the letters) for the fricatives and small line (putting below the letters) for the implosives. The Devanagari Sindhi alphabetic chart is given below. Devanagari Sindhi Alphabet:
अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ए ऐ ओ औ /ә/ /a/ /I/ /i/ /ປ/ /u/ /e/ /ε/ /o/ /כ/ क क़ ख ख़ ग ग ग़ घ ङ /k/ /q/ /kh/ /x/ /g/ /ģ/ /r/ /gh/ /ŋ/ च छ ज ज ज़ झ ञ /c/ /ch/ /j/ /jՙ/ /z/ /jh/ /ր/ ट ठ ड ड ड़ ढ ढ़ ण /ţ/ /ţh/ /ḍ/ /ḍՙ/ /ŗ/ /ḍh/ /ŗh/ /ղ/ त थ द ध न /t/ /th/ /d/ /dh/ /n/ प फ फ़ ब ब भ म /p/ /ph/ /f/ /b/ /bՙ/ /bh/ /m/ य र ल व /y/ /r/ /l/ /v/ श ष स ह /Š/ /š/ /s/ /h/
The secondary symbols (matras) and consonant clusters etc. are formed on the same principles, which are used for Hindi.
The Arabic Sindhi writing system is an adoptation of the Arabic system. It is an alphabetic system, which is written from right to left, and the mode of writing is cursive. Calligraphically, like Arabic and Persian it is written in the ‘Naskh’ style.
The Arabic Sindhi Alphabet consisting of 52 graphemes has 29 Arabic graphemes, 3 persian graphemes (<__?___) and 20
modified graphemes to represent the native Sindhi phonemes (/ph bh th dh t?h d?h ch ?h kh gh b? d?? ?? g? t? d r? ? ? and ?/)
which do not exist in the Arabic and Persian Phonological systems.
The traditional alphabetic chart along with numerals from 1 to 10 is given below.
--------- /bhe/ /pe/ /b՛e/ /be/ /әlәtu/ -------- /the/ /se/ /ţe/ /ţhe/ /te/ --------- /ḍalu/ /ḍ՛alu/ /dhalu/ /zaluu/ /dalu/ -------- /ce/ /րe/ /j՛e/ /jimu/ /ḍhalu/ -------- /ŗe/ /re/ /xәI/ /haI/ /che/ -------- /zuvadu/ /suvadu/ /šinu/ /sinu/ /ze/ -------- /fe/ /rεnә/ /εnә/ /zue/ /tue/ -------- /gafu/ /khe/ /kafu/ /qafu/ /phe/ -------- /mimu/ /lamu/ /ŋә/ /ghe/ /ģe/ ------- /jhe/ /he/ /vaFu/ /uղu/ /nunu/ ______ * _______ /ye/ /hәmzo/
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
It is worth to mention here that Arabs learnt the above numerical system from Indians and it was Europeans who adopted it from them.
Therefore, the numerals 1 2 3 etc are called ‘Arabic numerals’ in English.
As discussed above, the Arabic script is written from right to left but the numerals are written from left to right i.e. ______
The mode of writing all the letters and basic numerals suggested by the strokes is given below.
--------------------
On the basis of the nature of connecting with each other in a word all the graphemes may be divided into two groups:
non-connectors and connectors. The non-connectors are not connected with followed ones therefore they do not change their shape.
In other words each of them has only one allograph. Most of the connectors change their shape when they are joined with the followed
graphemes. The graphemes < b >, < b >, and < S > are connectors, even then they do not change their shape, therefore each of them
has only one allograph. The grapheme < __ > as well as < __ > has four allographs according to their positions and joining situations.
Other graphemes has two allographs each.
All the graphemes with their phonemic value along with the allographic distribution are given below.
The allographic distribution of Arabic Sindhi graphemes
(I) The graphemes having only one allograph each
Position of The Word Allographs Graphemes and their f m I 5 4 3 2 1 /radha/ ‘Radha’ name of a person /dadu/ ‘appreciation’ /әdhu/ ‘half’ 1 < 1 > /base vowel/ /azadu/ ‘free’ /әdo/‘elder brother’ /dәru/ ‘door’ /d/ ____ /guzaru/ ‘livelihood’ /zәro/ ‘particle’ /z/ /ḍ՛ປdhປ/ 'butter milk’ /adharu/ ‘support’ /dharә/ ‘separate’ /dh/ /khәḍ՛/ ‘a deep pity’ /ḍ՛aḍ՛i/‘grand mother’ /d՛̡edәrປ/ ‘frog’ /ḍכ/ /roḍປ/ ‘road’ /borḍ՛ປ/ ‘board’ /ḍarә/ ‘boast’ /ḍ/ /vәḍhI/ ‘cut’ /vaḍho/ (sg. imperative) ‘carpenters’ /ḍhorປ/ ‘animal’ /ḍh/ /bazarI/ ‘market’ /bharәtປ/ ‘India’ /rәthປ/ ‘chariot’ /r/ /tezປ/ ‘fast’ /razo/ ‘mason’ /zevәrә/‘ornament’ /z/ /rәbכәŗປ/ ‘rubber’ /vaŗo/ ‘paddock’ /udhәrປ/ ‘ປdhav’ _____ /ŗ/ ‘name of a person’ /odhәrI/ ‘borrowing’ /varo/ ‘turn’ /v, vowel marker’
5 4 3 2 1 /dәrzi/ /aryә/ 'tailor' 'arya' /vәziru/ ‘minister’ /yadI/ ‘remembrance’ /y,vowel marker/ /әdәbu/ 'literature' /abIru/ 'respectability' /buţu/ 'shoe' /b/ /rәb՛ә/ ‘porridge’ /dhob՛i/ /b՛udhәru/ /b՛/ /gәpә/ ‘mud’ /pepәru/ ‘paper’ /pәri/ ‘fairy’ /p/ /ubhu/ ’sky’ /obhәru/ ‘east’ /bhItI/ ‘wall’ /bh/ /bhItI/ ‘wall’ /bәti/ ‘lamp’ /taro/ ‘star’ /t/ /uţhu/ ‘camal’ /paţho/ ‘card board’ /ţhuţhI/ 'elbow' /ţh/ /buţu/ ‘shoe’ /pәţaţo/ ‘potato’ /ţopi/ ‘cap’ /ţ/ /bәhәsu/ ‘discussion’ /әsәru/ ‘effect’ /sәvabu/‘virtue’ /s/ /rathu/ ‘chariot’ /pәthәru/ ‘stone’ /thoro/ ‘some’ /th/ /әkhI/ ‘eye’ /әkhәru/ ‘letter’ /khokho/ ‘box’ /kh/ /naղgu/ ‘snake’ /әgәrI/ ‘if’ /guḍ՛i/ ‘doll’ /g/ /raģu/ ‘song’ /ḍhәģo/ ‘ox’ /ģәro/ ‘heavy’ /ģ/ /sIղu/ ‘horn’ /aղIrI/ ‘finger’ ____ /ղ/ /әghu/ ‘rate’ /ghagәrI/ ‘jar’ /ghoŗo/ ‘horse’ /gh/ /kәlaku/ ‘hour’ /b՛әkIri/ ‘goat’ /kuto/ ‘dog’ /k/ /bәrfә/ ‘ice’ /hәfto/ ‘week’ /fәqtI/ ‘only’ /f/ /bכaphә/ ‘steam’ /phәţIphәţi/ ‘motor cycle’ /phitho/ ‘wheel’ /ph/ /šәrtә/ ‘condition’ /toto/ ‘parrot’ /tәrfu/ ‘direction’ /t/ _____ /nәzәrә/ ‘eye-sight’ /zahIru/ ‘clear’ /z/ /kәmu/ ‘work’ /kumi/ 'tortoise' /moti/ ‘pearl’ /m/ /ḍ՛әhә/ ‘ten’ /zahIru/ ‘clear’ /hathi/ ‘elephant’ /h/ /pәnu/ ‘leaf’ /ḍ՛әndu/ ‘tooth’ /nәdi/ ‘river’ /n/ /bhenә/ ‘sister’ /aḍ՛ano/ ‘loom’ _____ /ղ/ /sәbәqu/‘lesson’ /fәqtI/ ‘only’ /qәlәmu/ ‘pen’ /q/ /gulu/ ‘flower’ ‘qәlәmu/ ‘pen’ /lunu/ ‘salt’ /l/ /hәnsu/ ‘swan’ /asisә/ 'blessing' /sәsu/ ‘mother-in-law’ /s/ /dešu/ ‘country’ /kIsImIšI/ ‘raisin’ /šadi/ ‘marriage’ /š/ /xasI/ ‘special’ /bәsәru/ ‘onion’ /sufu/ ‘apple’ /s/ /cәrzu/ ‘duty’ /mәrzi/ ‘desire’ /zәruru/’definiterly’ /z/ /subuhu/ ‘morning’ /bәhәsu/ ‘discussion’ /hәjәmu/ ‘barber’ /h/ /jәju/ ‘Judge’ /raja/ ‘king’ /jәvabu/ ‘answer’ /j/ /әj՛u/ ‘today’ /khaj՛a/ ‘cashew nuts’ /j՛lbhә/ ‘tongue’ /j՛/ /j՛әղә/ 'bridegroom’s marriage party' /pIրIro/ ‘cage’ ____ /ր/ /vacә/ ‘wrist watch’ /caco/ ‘paternal uncle’ /cәnḍu/ ‘moon’ /c/ /rIchu/ ‘bear’ /pacho/ ‘shadow’ /chәրchәru/ ‘Saturday’ /ch/ /tarixә/ ‘date’ /cәrxo/ ‘spinning wheel’ /xәlu/ ‘gap’ /x/ /vәjhu/ ‘chance’ /vIjho/ ‘put in (sg. imperative’) /jhlrki/ ‘sparrow’ /jh/ /piu/ ‘father’ /faIdo/ ‘advantage’ ____ /base vowel/ /šuru/ ‘start’ /šәIru/ ‘poetry’ /adәtә/ ‘habit’ 1 /šayәә/ ‘published’ /qaIdo/ ‘rule’ ____ /base vowel/ /baru/ ‘garden’ /dәra/ ‘treachery’ /rәribu/ ‘poor’ /r/ /balIru/ ‘adult’ /tәrari/ ‘mason’s pot’ ____ ___
It can be observed from the above chart that generally a connector is joined to the side of the followed letter i.e.
???? /b̉әkIri/ 'goat' ??? /sәbәqu/ ‘lesson’. But in the case of the letters having ? type shape,
the preceeding letter is not joined to the top of it i.e. ?? /jәju/ ‘judge’, ?????/tarixә/ ‘date’ and ???
/hәjәmu/ ‘barber’ etc.
In the present days printing forms of Arabic Sindhi used in Sindh (Pakistan) – type letters are not joined to the top.
Like other letter they are also joined to the side i.e. < ? > /kәchә/ ‘arm pit’ and /buxaru/ ‘fever’ etc.
As it is mentioned above, each of the graphemes and has form allographs, the ? type allograph occurs word initially
and medially (when the preceding letter is non-connector) i.e. ???/amu/ ‘common’ ???? /šaIru/ ‘poet’.
The __ type allograph occurs word medially when it is connected from the both side’s i.e.??? /šaIru/ ‘poetry’.
The ___ type allograph occurs word finally when it is connected to the preceding letter i.e. ???? /balIru/ ‘adult’.
The ?type allograph occurs word finally when it is preceded by anon-connector, i.e. ??? /baru/ ‘garden’.
It must be noted that, a few monographic words formed from by type graphemes are written as ?? /bI/ ‘also’,
??/tә/ ‘so’ and ?? /nә/ ‘no’ etc.
When the Arabic Sindhi writing system is used with the dia critical monkers, it indicates the nearly perfect relationship
between sound and spelling.
In some cases, due to maintenance of the original Perso-Arabic spellings in Sindhi, the following phonemes are represented by
more than one graphemes.
(1) To indicate the phoneme /z/ one of the four graphemes is used according to the original spelling of a Perso-Arabic
borrowed item. In the case of English onlyborrowed items are used for it.
(2) For the phoneme /s/ one of the three graphemes is used according to the original spelling of a Perso-Arabic borrowed item.
In other cases only is used for it.
(3) For the phoneme /t/ one of the two graphemes is used according to the original spelling of a Perso-Arabic borrowed item.
In other cases only is used for it.
(4) For the phoneme /h/ one of the two graphemes is used according to the original spelling of a Perso-Arabic borrowed item.
In other cases only is used for it.
(5) One of the three graphemes is used as a base vowel with the help of different dia critical markers along with or without
one of the graphemes or to indicate a vowel phoneme. The grapheme < ? > is used word initially and is used word
medially and finally. The grapheme is used as a base vowel in all the positions in some Perso-Arabic borrowed items.
Each of the graphemes and is used for more than one phoneme. is used to indicate /x/ and three vowels with or without
dia critical markers (___ ) and < ?> is used to indicate /v/ and three vowels with or without the dia critical markers (4.2.4).
The four dia critical markers /zәbәrә/ ‘__’ /mәdu/, ‘__’ /pešu/ and /zerә/ are used with < ? > to indicate following vowels.
< __> /ә/ < ? > /a/ < ? > /u/ and <__> /I/
Using or alongwith < ? > with or without a dia critical marker indicates other vowels.
/e/, /i/, /ε/ /o/, /u/ and /כ/.
There is also a tradition of using _____instead of ‘?’ to indicate the phoneme /כ/. The grapheme < ? > is dropped
(except when it is used for the vowel /a/) when it is preceded by a consonant. In the case of /a/ ‘__’ /mәdu/ is dropped and
< ? > is maintained. For example. ? ??? = ? + ? + ? + ? + ? /aramu/ ‘rest’.
When a vowel is followed by any other vowel it is indicated by Example: ?? /piu/ ‘father’.
Apart from the above mentioned four dia critical markers, three more dia critical markers are:
‘^’ /J әzma/ ‘ ?’ /tәšdidә/ and /tәnvinә/ are also used in the writing system.
The ‘^’ is placed over a letter used for a consonant to indicate that no vowel is followed by it. Example: /hәfto/ ‘week’.
There is a tradition in Sindhi to use ‘__’ /zerә/ instead of ‘^’ /Jәzmә/ in the primers which should be avoided.
The ‘ ? ’ indicates germination and is used in flow-borrowed items to show their original spelling.
Example: ????? /muqәddәru/ ‘luck’.
The ‘=’ is used optionally in a few words to indicate the nazalization. Examples: ???? ~ ???? /fכrәn/ ‘immediately’.
It is also optionally used in a few words to indicate the nazalization. Examples: ??? ??? ~ ???/cәyai/ ‘he said’ ‘__’ /mẽ/
‘in’ and /__/ /ε๊/ ‘and’ etc.
Like all other writing systems developed from the Arabic script, there is a general tendency to omit the dia critical markers
while writing in the Arabic Sindhi. These markers are only used in the prime dictionaries and rare texts where clear indication
about the pronunciation is felt necessary. In other cases they are omitted. The context normally makes the pronunciation clear.
Main punctuation marks used in the Arabic Sindhi writing system are given below.
. ‘full stop’ __ ‘interrogation mark’ ! ‘exclamation point’ ‘ ‘comma’ ; ‘semicolon’ : ‘colon’ - ‘dash’ -: ‘colon and dash’ ` ‘hyphen’ “ “ ‘inverted commas’ ( ) ‘brackets’.
The sample text in the Devanagari Sindhi and Arabic Sindhi is given below:
हिक गुफ़ा में हिकु बुढो शीहुं रहंढ़ो हो. उन में शिकार करण जी ताक़त कान रही हुई. इनकरे झंगल जा जानकर पंहिजे राजा जी ख़बर चार लहण संढसि गुफ़ा में वेंढ़ा हुआ. जेको जानवरु गुफ़ा में वेंढ़ो हो उन खे मारे हू पंर्हिजो पेटु भर्रीढ़ो हो.
हिक डींहुं हिकु लूमडु गुफ़ा वटि पहुतो ऐं बाहिरां ई र्शीहं खां संढ़सि सिहत जो हालु पुछण लगो. तडहिं र्शीहं चयुसि अढ़ा, लूमड़ अंढ़रि अचु न. लूमड़ जवाबु डींढ़े चयो मां अंड़रि न ईंढुसि छो त गुफ़ा जे अंढ़रि वेंढढ़नि जे पेरनि जा निशान त नज़रि अचनि था पर बाहिरि ईंढ़ड़नि जा निशान आहिनि ई कीन. इएं चई लूमडु उतां हली व्यों
ان کري جھنگل جا جانور پنھنجي راجا جي خبر چار لھں سندس غفا م ويندا ھئا ۔ جيکو
جانور غفا م ويندو ھو ان کي ماري ھو پنھنجو پيت پريندو ھو۔
ھک دينھن ھک لومر غفا وت پھتو باھران ئي شينھن کان سندس صحت جو حال پحں لگو ۔ تدھن شينھن چيس،" ادا لومر، اندر اچفہ ۔ " قدھن لومر کيس جواب ديندي چيو ۔" مان افدري فہ ايندس حو قہ غفا جي اندر ويند رنجي پيرن جا نشان قہ نظر اچن قا پر باھر ايندرن جا اھن ئي ۔"
/hIkә rufa mê hIku b̉uḍho šĩhũ rәhәndo ho. unә mẽ šIkaru kәrәnә Ji taqәtә kana hui. Inәkәre jhәngәlә ja janvәrә /pә๊hĨje raja ji xәbәrә carә lәhәnә sәndәsI rufa mẽ venda hua. jeko janvәru rufa mẽ vendo ho unә khe mare hu pә๊hĨ jo peţu bhәrindo ho.
hIkә ḍ̉Ĩhũ hIku /umәŗu rufa vәţI pәhuto ε๊ b̉ahIrã i šĨhә๊ khã sәndәsI sIhәtә jo halu puchәղә lәģo tәḍәhĨ šihә๊ cәyusI, әda lumәŗә, әndәrI әcu nә. “lumәŗә Jәvabu d̦̉inde cәyo,” “mã әndәrI nә indusI cho tә rufa je әndәrI vendәŗanI je perәnI ja nIš anә tә nәzәrI әcәnI tha pәrә b̉ahIrI indәŗәnI janIšanә ahInI i kinә.” Iẽ cәI lumәŗu utã hәli vyo.
An old lion lived in a cave. He did not have strength to hunt; therefore the animals living in the jungle used to go in his cave
to ask him about his health. The lion killed and ate the animals whoever visited to see him.
Once a fox reached near the cave and standing outside the cave, asked the lion about his health. The lion said;
"Dear brother fox, come in."
"I will not enter the cave, because I can see the foot prints of the animals entering in the cave but their foot prints of
coming out can't be seen" , the fox replied and ran away from that place.
Looking into the sub continental context, it is felt by many scholars and writers that the Arabic Sindhi script should be used for Sindhi and Devanagari should be used as an additional script. A section of scholars are aware of the utility of Devanagari in the charged context of the Sindhi’s scattered in all parts of India. Some scholars are also of the opinion that Sindhi’s should not even hesitate to use Roman for the language, if it helps to maintain their linguistic identity who are settled in different countries all over the world.
Some efforts are made to computerize the Devanagari Sindhi and Arabic Sindhi.
Modular Innovators Pvt. Ltd., Pune has developed ‘Shri-Lipi’, a windows based font package for Indian languages which includes
the Devanagari Sindhi and Arabic Sindhi. In India, most of the publishers are using this programme for Sindhi.
Research on the Perso-Arabic standard for information interchange proposed by C-DAC-GIST is in progress. It is an extension
to the standard 8-bit ASC II which compliments the symbols set of Roman script by adding the symbols of the Perso-Arabic scripts
being used for Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi and Kashmiri.
So far, little serious research work is done in the field of Sindhi writing systems. There is a great need to standardize the orthography of Devanagari Sindhi as well as Arabic Sindhi.
Copyright CIIL-India Mysore