Shahmukhi script
Shahmukhi (
شاہ مکھی) is a local variant of the
Arabic script used to record the
Punjabi language. It is based on the
Nasta'liq style of the
Persian script and has traditionally been used by the
Punjabi Muslims of
India and
Pakistan. However, since the middle of the 20th century it has mainly been used by those in the
Punjab province of Pakistan. The
Gurmukhi script is used to write Punjabi in the India. The text is written in the right to left direction and from right page to left page.
The meaning of "Shahmukhi" is literally "from the
King's mouth".
*The Gurumukhi sounds ñ(ਞ), ng(ਙ), nh(ੰ/ં) are all written with :ں : nun ghunna (nun without dot). In initial and medial positions, the dot is retained.
*' (Bari ye) is only found in the final position, when writing the sounds e (ਏ) or æ (ਐ), and in initial and medial positions, it takes the form of ي.
*There are three signs used when indicating a short vowel: َ (ਅ), ُ (ਉ), ِِ (ਇ): a, u, i.Examples: قَلَم(ਕਲਮ) qalam-pen گھُپ (ਘੁਪ) ghup-dense لِحاظ (ਲਿਹਾਜ਼) lihāż-consideration
*at the beginning of a word, short vowels are written as follows: اَ, اُ, اِ
*Long vowels are expressed withا, ي, ' and و as follows:Initial- آ (ਆ): ā اَ' (ਏ ਐ): e, æ اُو (ਊ): ū اِي (ਈ): ī اَو (" "): au, oMedial-َﺎ َﯧ ُﻮ ِﯧ َﻮFinal- َﺎ َﮯ ُﻮ ِﻲ َﻮ
*Consonants are doubled with ّ (ੱ) ex: ﷲ (ਅੱਲਾਹ): Allāh كَچَّا (ਕੱਚਾ): Kachchā: unripe
There are a few additional letters that are occasionally used. They are:" bbe -ੱਬ
ﭲ jje -ੱਜ
ڋ ḍḍe -ੱਡ
ڰ ggaf -ੱਗ
ڻ rnoonh -ਣ
In Punjabi, there are many Arabic and Persian loanwords, and many of the sounds of Arabic cannot be represented with Gurmukhi.
Arabic-only letters
ﺫ ﺹ ﺽ ﻁ ﻅ ﻉ ﺡ ﺙ
Persian-only letters
ﮊ
Arabic/Persian letters
ﺥ ﺯ ﻍ ﻑ ﻕ
*
The Western Panjabi Alphabet*
Learn Shahmukhi*
Likhari in Shahmukhi*
Kalam-e-Baba Nanak*
LokPunjab.org*
Panjabi Language*
Poetry form Sialkot
