ʽAjmiyah

ʽAjmiyah (also known as Adjam or Agamiyya) refers to the practice of writing African languages, primarily Hausa but also including languages like Wolof, Fulfulde, Yoruba, and others, using a modified Arabic script. The term "ʽAjmi" originally referred to a non-Arab, particularly a Persian. However, in the context of African languages, it came to denote the adaptation of Arabic script for writing languages other than Arabic.

The development of ʽAjmiyah writing systems arose from the spread of Islam in Africa and the associated use of Arabic as a language of religion, scholarship, and commerce. As local populations adopted Islam, they began to adapt the Arabic alphabet to represent the sounds of their own languages, which differed significantly from those of Arabic. This involved modifying existing Arabic letters, adding new letters with diacritical marks, and sometimes employing combinations of Arabic letters to represent unique phonemes.

ʽAjmiyah scripts are not standardized, and variations exist between different regions and communities. The orthography can be inconsistent, reflecting differing interpretations of how best to represent the sounds of the target language using the Arabic script. Nevertheless, ʽAjmiyah has played a significant role in preserving and transmitting African literature, poetry, religious texts, and historical records. Many important works of scholarship and creative writing exist only in ʽAjmiyah manuscripts.

While the use of Roman-based alphabets for writing African languages has become increasingly prevalent, particularly in formal education and official contexts, ʽAjmiyah continues to be used in some communities, often alongside Romanized scripts. Its historical significance and ongoing cultural importance are recognized, and there are efforts to document and preserve ʽAjmiyah manuscripts and promote its continued use in certain contexts. The study of ʽAjmiyah provides valuable insights into the linguistic history of Africa and the interactions between Arabic and African cultures.