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How do the writing systems of Hindi and Urdu differ?
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The writing systems of Hindi and Urdu represent one of the most significant distinctions between the two languages, which are otherwise closely related and mutually intelligible.12
- Hindi is written using the Devanagari script. This script evolved from the Gupta script and is widely used for various modern languages of India, as well as for Sanskrit.1234
- Urdu utilizes a modified version of the Perso-Arabic script known as Nastaliq.12
While the two languages share a common Indo-Aryan base and are similar in phonology and grammar, their distinct writing systems reflect their different historical and cultural influences—Hindi drawing heavily from Sanskrit and Urdu from Arabic and Persian traditions.12