View source for Gaf

{{Short description|Letter used to represent the /ɡ/ sound in Persian alphabet.}}
{{Other uses|GAF (disambiguation){{!}}GAF}}
{{SpecialChars}}{{Infobox grapheme
| name = Gāf
| letter = گ
| script = [[Arabic script]]
| type = [[Abjad]]
| language = [[Persian language]]
| phonemes = {{IPA link|g}}
| alphanumber = 26
| number = 
| fam2 = 𐡊
| fam3 = 𐢎‎, 𐢏‎
| direction = Right-to-left
| fam1 = 𐤊‎
| fam4 = [[ك]], كـ
}}[[Image:Gaf.svg|120px|thumb|One form of gaf]]
{{Arabic-script sidebar|Persian}}
'''Gaf''' ({{langx|fa|{{nq|گاف}}}}; {{Transliteration|fa|gāf}}), is the name of different [[Perso-Arabic alphabet|Perso-Arabic letters]], all representing {{IPAslink|ɡ}}. They are all derived from the letter [[Kaph|kāf]], with additional [[diacritic]]s, such as dots and lines. In name and shape, it is a variant of ''[[kaph|kaf]]''. It is also one of the five letters the [[Persian alphabet]] added to the Arabic alphabet (the others being <big>{{lang|fa|ژ}}</big>, <big>{{lang|fa|پ}}</big>, and <big>{{lang|fa|چ}}</big> in addition to the obsolete <big>{{lang|fa|ڤ}}</big>). Its numerical value is 5000 (see [[Abjad numerals]]). There are four forms, each used in different alphabets:

* {{big|{{script/Arabic|گ}}}} in the [[Persian alphabet]], [[Tausug language|Tausug written in Arabic Script]] 
* {{big|{{script/Arabic|ݢ}}}} in the [[Jawi script]]
* {{big|{{script/Arabic|ࢴ/ڮ}}}} in the [[Pegon script]]
* {{big|{{script/Arabic|ګ}}}} in [[Pashto language|Pashto]]

== Use in Arabic ==
A non-standard letter to the Arabic alphabet; ''Gāf'' (<big>{{lang|ar|گ}}</big>) has been traditionally used in [[Iraq]] and parts of the [[Levant]] for {{IPAslink|g}}. In [[Morocco]], a similar letter ({{script/Arabic|ݣ}}) is used. while in other Arabic-speaking countries other letters are used, such as {{script/Arabic|ڨ}} in [[Tunisia]] and [[Algeria]], and any of the standard letters {{script/Arabic|ج}}, {{script/Arabic|غ}}, or {{script/Arabic|ق}} in the other countries.

== Variant forms ==
=== Kaf with line ===

The most common form of ''gāf'' ({{script/Arabic|گ}}) is based on ''kāf'' with an additional line. It is rarely used in [[Modern Standard Arabic|Standard Arabic]] itself but is used to represent the sound {{IPAslink|ɡ}} when writing other languages.
{{Arabic alphabet Naskh and Nastaliq shapes|كَ}}
When representing this sound in transliteration of Persian into Hebrew, it is written as כ׳ ''kaph'' and a ''[[geresh]]''.

It is frequently used in [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Pashto language|Pashto]], [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]], [[Urdu]] and [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], and is one of four Perso-Arabic letters not found in Arabic. It is also commonly used in [[Mesopotamian Arabic]].<ref>Alkalesi, Yasin M. (2001) "Modern iraqi arabic: A textbook". Georgetown University Press. {{ISBN|978-0878407880}}</ref>

=== Kaf with ring ===

In [[Pashto language|Pashto]], this letter is used for {{IPAslink|ɡ}}.
{{Arabic alphabet Naskh and Nastaliq shapes|ګ}}

=== Kaf with single dot above ===

This ''gāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ݢ}}) is derived from a variant form of ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ک}}), with the addition of a [[dot (diacritic)|dot]]. It is not used in the [[Arabic language]] itself, but is used in the [[Jawi script]] to represent {{IPAslink|ɡ}}.
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ݢ}}

[[Unicode]] includes two forms on this letter: one based on the standard Arabic ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ك}}), and one based on the variant form ({{script/Arabic|ک}}). The latter is the preferred form.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03176-gafs.pdf|author=Jonatha Kew|title=Proposal to encode Jawi and Moroccan Arabic GAF characters|date=2003}}</ref>
{{Charmap
|06AC|name1=Arabic Letter Kaf with Dot Above
|0762|name2=Arabic Letter Keheh with Dot Above
}}

=== Kaf with three dots below ===

This letter ({{script/Arabic|ڮ}}) is derived from a form of ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ك}}), with the addition of three [[dot (diacritic)|dots]] below.
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ڮ}}

=== Gaf with inverted stroke ===

In [[Chechen language|Chechen]], [[Kabardian language|Kabardian]], and [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]], the Arabic character {{script/Arabic|ࢰ}} is used to spell {{IPAslink|kʼ}} or {{IPAslink|t͡ʃʼ}}. In Chechen, ⟨{{script/Arabic|گ}}⟩ is alternatively used as well.
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ࢰ}}

=== Kaf with a dot below ===

This letter ({{script/Arabic|ࢴ}}) is derived from a form of ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ك}}), with the addition of three a dot below. It is not used in the Arabic language itself, but is used in the [[Arwi alphabet]] for the [[Tamil language]] and the [[Pegon script]] for [[Languages of Indonesia|Indonesian languages]] to represent {{IPAslink|ɡ}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Pournader |first=Roozbeh |date=June 24, 2013 |title=Proposal to encode three Arabic characters for Arwi |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2013/13130-arwi.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Nasrullah |first=Febri Muhammad |date=2022-09-11 |title=On ARABIC LETTER KAF WITH DOT BELOW |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2022/22221-arabic-kaf-with-dot-below.pdf |website=UTC Document Register for 2022}}</ref>
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ࢴ}}

=== Kaf with three dots ===
{{See also|Ng (Arabic letter)}}
[[File:Top Floors Cafe Argana in 2006 (Cropped).png|thumb|300px|The Arabic signage for the Argana cafe in Marrakesh's [[Jemaa el-Fnaa]] features a prominent gaf with three dots.]]
[[File:کتاب الابنیه عن حقایق الادویه، برگی از دستنویس محفوظ در کتابخانه مجلس در تهران.jpg|thumb|253x253px|A page from a 12th century Persian manuscript of "Kitab al-Abniya 'an Haqa'iq al-Adwiya" by [[Abu Mansur Muwaffaq]] with letter gāf written as (ڭـ).]]

The letter {{script/Arabic|ڭ}} is used in [[Berber languages|Berber]] and [[Moroccan Arabic]] to represent {{IPAslink|ɡ}}.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 November 2009 |title=Learn Moroccan Arabic |url=http://www.31best-riad-marrakesh.com/learn-moroccan-arabic/ |work=Best Riad Marakkesh |script-quote=ar:واش كتهدر بالإنݣليزية}}</ref> Examples of its use include city names (e.g., [[Agadir]]: {{script/Arabic|أݣادير}}) and family names (e.g., [[Hicham El Guerrouj|El Guerrouj]]: {{script/Arabic|الݣروج}}). The preferred form is {{script/Arabic|ڭ}}.
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ڭ}}It was also used in [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]] for {{IPAslink|ŋ}}. Both forms are based on variant forms of ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ك}}/{{script/Arabic|ک}}), with the addition of three [[dot (diacritic)|dots]]. The preferred form is {{script/Arabic|ݣ}}.
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ݣ}}

== Character encoding ==
{{charmap
|06AB|name1=Arabic Letter Kaf with Ring
|06AC|name2=Arabic Letter Kaf with Dot Above
|06AE|name3=Arabic Letter Kaf with Three Dots Below
|06AF|name4=Arabic Letter Gaf
|08B0|name5=Arabic Letter Gaf with Inverted Stroke
}}
{{charmap
|0762|name1=Arabic Letter Keheh with<br />Dot Above
|0763|name2=Arabic Letter Keheh with<br />Three Dots Above
|06AD|name3=ARABIC LETTER NG
|08B4|name4=Arabic Letter Kaf with<br />Dot Below
}}

== See also ==
* {{big|{{script/Arabic|[[ڨ]]}}}}, a letter derived from {{Transliteration|ar|ALA-LC|[[qāf]]}} and used for {{IPAslink|ɡ}} in [[Tunisia]] and [[Algeria]]
* [[Ng (Arabic letter)]]
* [[Gueh]]
* [[Ayin]]
* [[Ghayn]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/render_download.php?site_id=nrsi&format=file&media_id=arabicletterusagenotes&filename=ArabicLetterUsageNotes.pdf Notes on some Unicode Arabic characters: recommendations for usage] ([[PDF]])

[[Category:Persian letters|Gaf]]
[[Category:Urdu letters|Gaf]]