ދިވެހިބަސް

Dhivehi

Indo-Aryan

FamilyIndo-Aryan Speakers~340K ScriptThaana (RTL) CountriesMaldives, India (Minicoy) Official inMaldives Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3div

Dhivehi (Maldivian) is the official language of the Maldives and the southernmost Indo-Aryan language. ~340K speakers; Insular branch developed in the Maldives and Minicoy Island (India) over a millennium of relative isolation. Closely related to Sinhala (the two share Maldivo-Sinhala common ancestry). Uses the unique Thaana script (developed in the 18th c.) — written right-to-left and notable for using numeric symbols of Arabic derivation as base consonant shapes. Heavy Arabic loan-vocabulary from Islam (state religion since 1153) and English from British protectorate era.

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Dhivehi

Water

ފެން

/fen/

Fire

އަލިފާން

/alifaːn/

Sun

އިރު

/iru/

Moon

ހަނދު

/handu/

Mother

މަންމަ

/mamma/

Father

ބައްޕަ

/bappa/

Eat

ކެއުން

/keun/

Drink

ބުއިން

/buin/

Love

ލޯބި

/loːbi/

Heart

ހިތް

/hit/

Tree

ގަސް

/ɡas/

House

ގެ

/ɡe/

Dog

ކުއްތާ

/kutːaː/

Cat

ބުޅާ

/buɭaː/

Hand

އަތް

/at/

Eye

ލޯ

/loː/

Hello

އައްސަލާމް ޢަލައިކުމް

/assalaːmu alaikum/

Thank you

ޝުކުރިއްޔާ

/ʃukurijjaː/

One

އެކެއް

/ekeʔ/

Good

ރަނގަޅު

/raŋɡaɭu/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Indo-Aryan languages

Meaning DhivehiRohingyaSylhetiChittagonianHindkoUrduDogri
Water ފެން /fen/ fani /fani/ পানি /pani/ ফানি /fani/ پانی /paːniː/ پانی /paːniː/ पाणी /paːɳiː/
Fire އަލިފާން /alifaːn/ aág /aːɡ/ আগুন /aɡun/ আগ্যন /aɡːon/ اگ /aɡ/ آگ /aːɡ/ अग्ग /aɡː/
Sun އިރު /iru/ beil /beil/ সুরুজ /suruz/ সূর্য /surdʒo/ سورج /soːraj/ سورج /suːɾəd͡ʒ/ सूरज /suːraj/
Moon ހަނދު /handu/ sán /sãn/ চান /tʃan/ চান /tʃan/ چن /tʃan/ چاند /t͡ʃãːd/ चन्न /tʃanː/
Mother މަންމަ /mamma/ maa /maː/ মা /ma/ মা /ma/ ماں /mãː/ ماں /mãː/ मां /mãː/
Father ބައްޕަ /bappa/ baba /baba/ বাফ /baf/ বাফ /baf/ پیو /pju/ والد /vaːlid/ बापू /baːpuː/
Eat ކެއުން /keun/ háwa /kʰaowa/ খাইন /xaɪn/ খাওয়া /kʰaɔwa/ کھانا /kʰaːnaː/ کھانا /kʰaːnaː/ खाना /kʰaːnaː/
Drink ބުއިން /buin/ piya /pija/ ফিন /fin/ ফিওয়া /fiɔwa/ پینا /piːnaː/ پینا /piːnaː/ पीना /piːnaː/
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