Thaana: The Unique Script of the Maldives
Few countries can claim a writing system used nowhere else on the planet. The Maldives can: Dhivehi is written in Thaana, a script developed in the islands and unlike any other in the world — most famously because many of its letters began life as numbers.
A script born from numerals
Thaana's most celebrated peculiarity is the origin of its letters. The first nine consonants derive from the Arabic numerals one to nine, and a further set derives from the older Dhivehi numerals. This makes Thaana one of the very few scripts in history whose letterforms are based on digits rather than on an older alphabet's letters.
Right to left
Thaana is written from right to left, like Arabic. Consonants carry vowel marks — small strokes placed above or below each letter, called fili — so that every syllable is fully specified. The system is considered straightforward to learn, and literacy in the Maldives is among the highest in the region.
Why a new script emerged
Earlier forms of written Dhivehi used scripts related to those of South Asia, seen on the medieval lōmāfānu copper plates and in old inscriptions. Thaana emerged later, in the centuries following the conversion to Islam, and its right-to-left direction conveniently allowed writers to embed Arabic words and religious phrases within Dhivehi text without changing direction. Over time it completely replaced the older scripts.
Everyday Thaana
Today Thaana is everywhere in Maldivian life: newspapers, official documents, shop signs, school books, subtitles and social media. Standard keyboard layouts and fonts support it across phones and computers, and it holds its own alongside English in the digital sphere.
Romanisation
For international use, Dhivehi is romanised into Latin letters — which is why travellers see spellings such as Malé, Hulhumalé and Dhivehi itself. An official romanisation system exists, though everyday transliterations of island and personal names can vary, which explains the multiple spellings visitors sometimes encounter for the same place.
A living heritage
Thaana is a point of quiet national pride: a homegrown solution to writing a homegrown language. For visitors, learning to recognise even a few characters — on a ferry timetable or a café sign — offers a small connection to a literary tradition found only in these islands.
FAQ
What script is used to write Dhivehi?
Thaana, a script unique to the Maldives, written from right to left.
Why is Thaana unusual among world scripts?
Many of its letters derive from numerals — the Arabic digits one to nine and older Dhivehi numerals — rather than from another alphabet.
Do Maldivians also use the Latin alphabet?
Yes. English is widely used, and Dhivehi names are romanised for international purposes, though Thaana remains the national script.
