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siyahi

Siyahi is a term used in Persian, Urdu, and Hindi written as سیاہی that denotes blackness or darkness, and, in a literal sense, black ink used for writing and drawing. The word appears in poetry and prose to evoke the depth of black color, night, or tearful emotion, and, in manuscript culture, to denote the ink employed by scribes and calligraphers.

Etymology: Siyahi is derived from siyah, meaning black, with the suffix -i forming a noun that indicates

Usage: In everyday language, siyahi refers to ink or the act of writing with ink. In literature

Notes: The term also conveys metaphorical meanings of mystery, depth, or the unknown, consistent with its association

See also: ink; calligraphy; siyah.

the
quality
or
material
related
to
blackness.
The
form
is
common
across
Persianate
languages,
including
Urdu
and
Hindi,
and
is
used
in
similar
senses.
and
art,
it
symbolizes
writing,
record-keeping,
and
the
visual
contrast
of
dark
ink
on
pale
paper.
In
historical
contexts,
the
density
and
quality
of
siyahi
affected
readability
and
aesthetic
presentation
of
manuscripts,
where
black
ink
was
often
paired
with
other
colors
like
red
for
rubrication.
with
night
and
darkness.