Singapore: Illuminated frontispiece from a mid-19th century Christian text in the Malay language and Jawi script.

From 'Cermin mata bagi segala orang yang menuntut pengetahuan' (Spectacles for Those who Seek Knowledge).

Jawi is an adapted Arabic alphabet for writing the Malay language. It developed in and around Malaya from about 1300 CE—about the same time as Islam arrived.

Jawi is one of the two official scripts in Brunei and Malaysia for the Malay language. However, nowadays it has all but been replaced by a Roman script called Rumi; Jawi is usually only seen as a script for religious and cultural purposes. Day-to-day usage of Jawi is maintained in more conservative Malay-populated areas such as Sulu in the Philippines, Pattani in Thailand and Kelantan in Malaysia.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Credit:

Pictures From History

Theme:

Scripts and Writing