Mahl writing systems

Thaana alphabet

Devanagari script for Mahl

Among the dialects of Dhivehi language, the Mahl dialect (Maliku bas) has something extra in the writing system. Like the communities speaking other dialects, among the speakers of this dialect too the Thaana alphabet is used in common for writing. However, it was secession of Minicoy from Maldivian rule and affiliating with India which have resulted in the importation of some additional features to the dialect as well as writing system of the Minicoyans.

In 1950s, the Indian government forbade direct travel between Maldivians from the heartland of Dhivehi language and Minicoyans. As a result the group of Dhivehis living in Minicoy were isolated from their Maldivian counterparts, thus being presented before all dangers of an acculturation process. It was this point which marked the origin of the Mahl writing systems. From 1950s onward Devanagari script got adopted in writing Mahl. Due to owing to lack of contact during an era of modernization efforts in the Dhivehi language during the time of Mohamed Amin Didi and afterwards, 'Malikuthaana' emerged as a distinct form of the Thaana script. Thus it was the start of the Post-Maldivian era in Minicoy which originated the Mahl writing system. Today, being united with the Maldivians by means of technological advancements as well as some other reasons the usage of the 'Malikuthaana' has become extinct and it is once again the standard Thaana alphabets which is being used in place of 'Malikuthaana' in the Mahl writing system.

Devanagari script for Mahl

Though Mahl is written with Thaana alphabet, around the 1950s a Devanagari script was modified to write Mahl Language.

Unicode support for Thaana characters

Thaana occupies Unicode codepoints 1920-1983 (hexadecimal 0780-07BF).

Characters of the Thaana script
(vowels are displayed with an alifu carrier)

Grapheme	HTML Unicode	Name	Malé Latin	IPA value
ހ	ހ	HAA	h	[h]
ށ	ށ	RHAVIYANI	rh	[ʂ]
ނ	ނ	NOONU	n	[n]
ރ	ރ	RAA	r	[r]
ބ	ބ	BAA	b	[b]
ޅ	ޅ	LHAVIYANI	lh	[ɭ]
ކ	ކ	KAAFU	k	[k]
އ	އ	ALIFU	varies	see article
ވ	ވ	VAAVU	v	[v]
މ	މ	MEEMU	m	[m]
ފ	ފ	FAAFU	f	[f]
ދ	ދ	DHAALU	dh	[d]
ތ	ތ	THAA	th	[t]
ލ	ލ	LAAMU	l	[l]
ގ	ގ	GAAFU	g	[ɡ]
ޏ	ޏ	GNAVIYANI	gn	[ɲ]
ސ	ސ	SEENU	s	[s]
ޑ	ޑ	DAVIYANI	d	[ɖ]
ޒ	ޒ	ZAVIYANI	z	[z]
ޓ	ޓ	TAVIYANI	t	[ʈ]
ޔ	ޔ	YAA	y	[j]
ޕ	ޕ	PAVIYANI	p	[p]
ޖ	ޖ	JAVIYANI	j	[ɟ]
ޗ	ޗ	CHAVIYANI	ch	[c]
ޘ	ޘ	TTAA	Arabic-to-Dhivehi transliteration characters
ޙ	ޙ	HHAA
ޚ	ޚ	KHAA
ޛ	ޛ	THAALU
ޜ	ޜ	ZAA	English-to-Dhivehi transliteration [ʒ]
ޝ	ޝ	SHEENU	Arabic-to-Dhivehi transliteration characters
ޞ	ޞ	SAADHU
ޟ	ޟ	DAADHU
ޠ	ޠ	TO
ޡ	ޡ	ZO
ޢ	ޢ	AINU
ޣ	ޣ	GHAINU
ޤ	ޤ	QAAFU
ޥ	ޥ	WAAVU
އަ	ަ	ABAFILI	a	[a]
އާ	ާ	AABAAFILI	aa	[aː]
އި	ި	IBIFILI	i	[i]
އީ	ީ	EEBEEFILI	ee	[iː]
އު	ު	UBUFILI	u	[u]
އޫ	ޫ	OOBOOFILI	oo	[uː]
އެ	ެ	EBEFILI	e	[e]
އޭ	ޭ	EYBEYFILI	ey	[eː]
އޮ	ޮ	OBOFILI	o	[o]
އޯ	ޯ	OABOAFILI	oa	[oː]
އް	ް	SUKUN	varies	see article
ޱ	ޱ	NAVIYANI (Fuvahmulah & Addu dialects)	dn (ṇ)	[ɳ]