Unicode Block - Thaana

Thaana is the script used to write the Dhivehi language, the official language of the Maldives, and it is notable for its unique writing direction, which is written from right to left but with vowels indicated by diacritical marks placed above or below the consonant letters. Unlike most Indic scripts, Thaana does not derive from a common ancient ancestor but was likely developed from a blend of Arabic and native influences, with its letter order starting with the Arabic-derived glyphs followed by indigenous additions. The script includes a distinct set of letters for loanwords, and its orthography is largely phonetic, with each consonant having an inherent vowel that can be altered or silenced by the attached diacritics, making it a fully voweled writing system in practice.