Dhivehi

Dhivehi (also known as Maldivian) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives and in the South Minicoy Island in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is the official language of the Maldives. Dhivehi is written from right to left and has its own script, called Thaana.

History

The earliest known examples of the use of Dhivehi are in the form of copper plate grants called Loamaafaanu, dating back to the 8th century AD. The language has been influenced by various languages over the centuries, including Arabic, French, Persian, Portuguese, Hindustani, and English.

Phonology

Dhivehi has a relatively large phoneme inventory for an Indo-Aryan language. It has 25 consonants and 10 vowels. The language also has a voiceless nasal glottal approximant, which is unusual for an Indo-Aryan language.

Grammar

Dhivehi grammar is similar to that of other Indo-Aryan languages. It has a subject-object-verb word order and has a nominative-accusative case system. The language also has a complex system of tense-aspect-mood.

Writing system

Dhivehi is written using the Thaana script, which is derived from Arabic numerals. The script is written from right to left. It is unique among the world's alphabets in that it was originally developed to write magic incantations, including use in spells and protective charms.

Dialects

There are several dialects of Dhivehi, which can be classified into four groups: Northern, Central, Southern and Maliku.

See also

• Maldives
• Indo-Aryan languages
• Thaana script

References

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