jawi

Jawi is an Arabic-derived script used for writing Malay and several Southeast Asian languages. Its origins trace to the spread of Islam and long-distance trade across the Malay Archipelago from the 13th century onward, which led to the development of an adapted form of Arabic suited to local phonology. Jawi has been one of the main scripts for Malay before the Latin-based Rumi script became prominent.

The writing system is written from right to left and is classified as an abjad, using Arabic base letters plus additional characters to represent Malay sounds not found in Arabic, such as p, ch, and ng. In practice, short vowels are often omitted, with readers relying on context. Jawi has been used for religious texts, classical literature, handwriting, and ceremonial inscriptions, and it continues to appear in cultural materials and traditional schools.

In contemporary use, Jawi retains cultural significance in Malaysia and Brunei and is taught in some schools, used in religious institutions, and seen in signage and publications. In Indonesia, its use is more limited, mainly in Aceh and among certain communities. Efforts to preserve and promote Jawi include education programs, development of digital fonts, and Unicode support to facilitate printing, transcription, and online content.