Abjadskriptit

Abjadskriptit, often referred to as abjads, are a type of writing system where each symbol primarily represents a consonant. Vowels are typically not written, though some abjads may include diacritics or other mechanisms to indicate vowel sounds when necessary for clarity or emphasis. This system is in contrast to alphabets, which represent both consonants and vowels with distinct characters, and syllabaries, where each character represents a syllable.

The word "abjad" itself is derived from the first four letters of the Arabic alphabet: alif, ba, jim, and dal. Abjads are believed to have originated in the ancient Near East, with the Proto-Sinaitic script being an early precursor. The Phoenician alphabet, a highly influential abjad, is considered the ancestor of many modern writing systems, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic scripts.

Prominent examples of modern abjads include the Arabic script and the Hebrew script. These scripts are widely used in Semitic languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac. The absence of explicit vowel notation in abjads relies on the reader's knowledge of the language to infer the correct pronunciation. This can sometimes lead to ambiguity, particularly for learners or in texts intended for a wider audience. Despite this, abjads have proven to be highly efficient and adaptable writing systems for the languages they represent.