Dhivehi is the language of the Maldives and is written with the Thaana script.
Dhivehi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Maldivian archipelago. It is closely related to Sinhala, the main language of Sri Lanka, but centuries of geographic separation produced a distinct language with its own vocabulary, grammar, and sound system.
The Thaana script is a distinctive right-to-left writing system used for modern Dhivehi. It developed in the Maldives and replaced earlier writing traditions, including forms of the Dhives Akuru script. Thaana contains letters associated with numerals and was influenced by Arabic writing conventions, although its history is specifically Maldivian.
Dhivehi has several regional dialects across the islands. Malé dialect, associated with the capital, strongly influences the standardized form used in government and education. English is also important in tourism and higher education, but Dhivehi remains the national language and a key marker of Maldivian identity.