Dives Akuru

The following script was used on the Maldivian Islands from the early middle centuries till the 20th century for writing in the local Dhivehi language. Dives Akuru is translated as 'island letters'. The script was called so by Harry Charles Pervis Bell. He was the British Commissioner of Archeology in Ceylon. After having retired, he studied the culture and history of Maldives and wrote a huge monograph on that.

Dives Akuru has been known since the 9th century, but before the 14th, the writing was a bit different. The early font was called Evēla Akuru ('ancient letters'). In the 19th century, Dives Akuru was dominated by the Thana script. However, today you can still see it on tombstones, architectural monuments, and in old books.

The parent script for Dives Akuru is Granta, which is a descendant of Brahmi. Like all relative systems, Dives Akuru is an abugida. It is written from left to right and it has a default vowel sound in the syllable and a special character for this vowel neutralisation.