The Writing and Numeral System of the Persian Language: A Comprehensive Study

Introduction

The Persian language, also known as Farsi, is an Indo-European language primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, Persian has a storied history that dates back over a millennium. It has evolved over time and has influenced or been influenced by various languages and cultures. A key aspect that contributes to its richness and complexity is its writing and numeral system. This article aims to offer a comprehensive examination of the script and numbers used in the Persian language.

Writing System

The Persian Alphabet

Persian uses a modified version of the Arabic script. While Arabic has 28 characters, the Persian script comprises 32 letters. These include all the Arabic characters with the addition of four more: پ [pe], چ [če], گ [gāf], and ژ [že].

Diacritical Marks

Similar to Arabic, Persian makes use of diacritical marks (short vowels), known as “zer,” “zabar,” and “pesh,” although their usage is more frequent in religious texts, linguistic studies, and educational settings for beginners. In day-to-day writing, these marks are generally omitted.

Cursive Writing

The script is cursive, meaning that, except for a few instances, letters within a word are connected to each other. Letters can have different forms based on their position in the word (initial, medial, final, or isolated).

Transliteration

The Latin script is sometimes used to represent Persian, particularly online and in global communications. There are several transliteration systems, but none are universally accepted.

Vowels and Consonants

Persian is notable for its simplicity of vowels, having just six basic vowel sounds. On the other hand, it has a rich array of consonants. The script is almost entirely phonetic, particularly in comparison to English, making it relatively straightforward to learn.

Numeral System

Eastern Arabic Numerals

In Iran, Persian employs the Eastern Arabic numerals (۰‎, ۱‎, ۲‎, ۳‎, ۴‎, ۵‎, ۶‎, ۷‎, ۸‎, ۹‎), also known as the Arabic-Indic numeral system. These are different from the Western Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) commonly used worldwide.

Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

The Persian numeral system distinguishes between cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) and ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.). In written form, ordinal numbers are usually indicated by suffixes, and the rules for their construction are somewhat similar to those of cardinal numbers.

Large Numbers and Decimal Points

Persian follows the international system for representing large numbers, using a comma to separate thousands. Unlike English, Persian utilizes a slash (/) as a decimal separator rather than a period.

Orthographic Changes and Reforms

Over the years, Persian has undergone a series of spelling reforms aimed at simplifying the language and making it more phonetic. Iran and Afghanistan have seen various changes in spelling conventions, albeit inconsistently.

Historical Context

The history of the Persian script goes back to the Pahlavi scripts, which were in use before the Islamic conquest of Persia. Post-Islam, the script switched to a modified form of Arabic script, which has undergone various changes over the centuries.

The Influence of Persian

The Persian script has had a considerable influence on many other languages, especially those in the South and Central Asian regions, like Urdu and Pashto. Several Turkic languages have historically been written in the Perso-Arabic script but have since switched to the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets.

Conclusion

The writing and numeral system of the Persian language not only serves the purpose of communication but also acts as a conduit for the rich cultural and historical expressions of the Persian-speaking world. Its script, an adapted form of the Arabic alphabet, and its numeral system, using Eastern Arabic numerals, have shaped and been shaped by the socio-cultural and historical contexts in which they are embedded. The system is not merely a set of symbols but an evolving entity that has recorded history, expressed poetry, laid down laws, and captured the dreams and aspirations of its people for centuries.