Thaana Eebeefili

Enter the consonant first, then add ީ on a Thaana layout.

For a word that starts with this vowel, use އ, the Thaana carrier letter, then add ީ: އީ. Keyboard positions vary by layout.

On its own, ީ has no consonant to modify, so it is incomplete input.

What sound does ީ mark?

It marks a long “ee” vowel in the attached syllable.

Thaana writes vowels with marks added to the base consonant. Eebeefili changes the vowel of that syllable and adds no consonant of its own.

How did Thaana develop?

It grew from local numerals and Arabic-influenced writing.

Accounts place the creation of Thaana’s numeral-derived letters in the 1500s or 1600s. The oldest-known Thaana inscription is dated to 1599; a heritage record’s surviving-document collection begins in 1705.

A traditional account, recorded in 2020, says early Thaana served magical incantations before spreading into everyday writing; this remains an origin story, not a settled explanation. In the late 18th century, Thaana replaced Dives Akuru, an older Maldivian script. Its consonant shapes draw on local numerals and Persian and Arabic writing. Written right to left, Thaana also accommodates Arabic passages and vowel marks. Eebeefili is one adapted vowel sign in that system.