Arabi Malayalam
Encyclopedia
Arabi Malayalam is a system of writing Malayalam language language in a variant form of Arabic script.It is a blend of Malayalam grammatical base, Arabic script with special orthographic
features, and vocabulary from Malayalam , Arabic, Tamil, Urdu and Persian. Though this originated in the South Indian region of the Malabar, today the script is mainly used in Malaysia and Singapore
by the migrant Muslim community. It is also used to teach Malayalam in Madrassas of Kerala
and Lakshadweep
. Until the 20th century, the script was widely taught to all Muslims in Kerala, including women. Most of the Mappila Songs
are written in Arabi-Malayalam script. The earliest known such work is the Muhyidheen Mala, written in 1607. Over the centuries, almost 3000 Arabic words used in Arabi-Malayalam came to be assimilated to the Malayalam language. Many of them relate to law, administration and commerce, indicating the areas where the Muslim influence, especially in the lands under the Zamorin.
There were many problems to write Malayalam using letters covering Arabic, a Semitic language. Only 28 letters were available from Arabic orthography to render over 53 phonemes of Malayalam. It was overcome by following the pattern of creating additional letters established for Persian. The letters like were not available in the Arabic alphabets. The characters which stand for are respectively in Arabi Malayalam.
s over the centuries. Romantic ballads, folk tales and battle songs have found a place in Arabi-Malayalam literature. While Arabi-Malayalam literally denotes Arabic influence in Malayalam, the vocabulary used in Arabi-Malayalam works often included Sanskrit
, Persian
and Tamil
.
The first Arabi-Malayalam novel, Chahar Dervesh, a translation of a Persian work, was published in 1883, six years before O. Chandhu Menon's Indulekha
.
Moyinkutty Vaidyar
and others translated important works of Sanskrit into Arabi-Malayalam. Major works translated thus were Astangahridaya
, Amarakosha
, Panchatantra
and even stories about King Vikramaditya
.
Sanskrit medical texts were also translated into Arabi-Malayalam by authors like Abdurahiman Musaliar of Ponnani
Puthiyakath. These included the Upakarasara, Yogarambha and Mahasara.
Arabi-Malayalam periodicals played an important role in social reform movements of the Mappila
s in the early 20th century. Al-Irshad, published in 1923 by the Muslim Aikya Sanghom played an important role in explaining the tenets of Islam to the common man and distinguishing between religious practices and superstitions.
Orthographic
Orthographic may refer to:* Orthographic projection** Orthographic projection ** Orthographic projection * Orthography...
features, and vocabulary from Malayalam , Arabic, Tamil, Urdu and Persian. Though this originated in the South Indian region of the Malabar, today the script is mainly used in Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
by the migrant Muslim community. It is also used to teach Malayalam in Madrassas of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
. Until the 20th century, the script was widely taught to all Muslims in Kerala, including women. Most of the Mappila Songs
Mappila Songs
Mappila Paattu or Mappila Song is a folklore Muslim song genre rendered to lyrics in colloquial Mappila dialect of Malayalam laced with Arabic, by the Mappilas of Malabar. Mappila songs have a distinct cultural identity, while at the same time, remain closely linked to the cultural practices of...
are written in Arabi-Malayalam script. The earliest known such work is the Muhyidheen Mala, written in 1607. Over the centuries, almost 3000 Arabic words used in Arabi-Malayalam came to be assimilated to the Malayalam language. Many of them relate to law, administration and commerce, indicating the areas where the Muslim influence, especially in the lands under the Zamorin.
Writing
Characters |
||
|---|---|---|
| Malayalam | Arabi Malayalam | IPA |
| ഴ | ژ | ɻ |
| ച | چ | tʃ |
| പ | پ | p |
| ഗ | گ | ɡ |
There were many problems to write Malayalam using letters covering Arabic, a Semitic language. Only 28 letters were available from Arabic orthography to render over 53 phonemes of Malayalam. It was overcome by following the pattern of creating additional letters established for Persian. The letters like were not available in the Arabic alphabets. The characters which stand for are respectively in Arabi Malayalam.
Literature
A huge volume of literary works written in Arabi-Malayalam have not been translated to Malayalam, and some estimates put the number at almost 90 percent. These works contain the greatest literary achievements by MappilaMappila
Mappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
s over the centuries. Romantic ballads, folk tales and battle songs have found a place in Arabi-Malayalam literature. While Arabi-Malayalam literally denotes Arabic influence in Malayalam, the vocabulary used in Arabi-Malayalam works often included Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
The first Arabi-Malayalam novel, Chahar Dervesh, a translation of a Persian work, was published in 1883, six years before O. Chandhu Menon's Indulekha
Indulekha
Indulekha is a Malayalam novel about a beautiful, well educated lady of a Nair tharavadu by Chandu Menon-Title:Indulekha, refers to the main character in this novel, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady of 18 years.-Background:...
.
Moyinkutty Vaidyar
Moyinkutty Vaidyar
Moyinkutty Vaidyar , often referred to as Mahakavi , is historically considered as one of the most renown and authentic poets of the Mappila pattu genre of Malayalam language songs in Kerala state, South India.-Personal life:...
and others translated important works of Sanskrit into Arabi-Malayalam. Major works translated thus were Astangahridaya
Ashtanga Hridayam
The Ashtānga Hridayam|Ashtanga Hridayam is a classical book of Ayurveda and is regarded as highly among Ayurvedic physicians as the normative Charaka and Sushruta. The Ashtang Hridayam was compiled by the Vagbhatta-I. The period of the compilation is said to be between 250 and 500 B.C.The...
, Amarakosha
Amarakosha
The Amarakosha from amara "immortal" and kosha "treasure, casket, pail, collection, dictionary", also Namalinganushasana from nama-linga-anu-shasana "instruction concerning nouns and gender") is a thesaurus of Sanskrit written by the Jain or Buddhist scholar Amarasimha...
, Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
and even stories about King Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya was a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India, famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity. The title "Vikramaditya" was later assumed by many other kings in Indian history, notably the Gupta King Chandragupta II and Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya .The name King Vikramaditya is a...
.
Sanskrit medical texts were also translated into Arabi-Malayalam by authors like Abdurahiman Musaliar of Ponnani
Ponnani
Ponnani/Ponani is an ancient port, a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. Ponnani taluk is the smallest Taluk in Malappuram district. This tiny, picturesque town is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west...
Puthiyakath. These included the Upakarasara, Yogarambha and Mahasara.
Arabi-Malayalam periodicals played an important role in social reform movements of the Mappila
Mappila
Mappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
s in the early 20th century. Al-Irshad, published in 1923 by the Muslim Aikya Sanghom played an important role in explaining the tenets of Islam to the common man and distinguishing between religious practices and superstitions.