Arabi Malayalam script

Arabi Malayalam
Ponnani Script
عَرَبِ مَلَیٰاۻَمْ‎
*پٗنّٰانِ لِپِ*‎
Arabi Malayalam; Ponnani Script; عَرَبِ مَلَیٰاۻَمْ‎; پٗنّٰانِ لِپِ‎
Script type	Abjad
Period	c. 500 to the present
Languages	Malayalam
Related scripts
Parent systems	Proto-Sinaitic Phoenician Aramaic Nabataean Arabic alphabet Arabi Malayalam; ; ; ; ;

Arabi Malayalam script (Malayalam: അറബി-മലയാളം, Arabi Malayalam: عَرَبِ مَلَیٰاۻَمْ), also known as Ponnani script, is a writing system — a variant form of the Arabic script with special orthographic features — for writing Arabi Malayalam, a Dravidian language in southern India. Though the script originated and developed in Kerala, today it is predominantly used in Malaysia and Singapore by the migrant Muslim community.

Until the 20th century, the script was widely taught to all Muslims in the primary education madrasahs of Kerala. Arabi-Malayalam is currently used in some of the primary education madrasahs of Kerala and Lakshadweep.