Khaṭ va naqsh-i ān dar taḥavvul-i zabān-i Fārsī: taʼs̲īr-i khaṭ-i Fārsī (Naskh) bar taḥavvulāt-i zabān-i Fārsī-i Darī

In this analytical study published by Dānishgāh-i Bayn al-Millalī-i Imām Khumaynī (rah) in Qazvīn, Ḥamīd Ṭāhirī explores the intricate relationship between the Persian script and the linguistic development of Fārsī-i Darī. The book, titled Khaṭ va naqsh-i ān dar taḥavvul-i zabān-i Fārsī, posits that the limitations of the Naskh script in capturing specific phonemes directly contributed to phonetic shifts within the language. Through a diachronic lens covering the 4th to 7th centuries AH, Ṭāhirī meticulously examines how the written word acted as a catalyst for change in the auditory reality of Persian speakers. This work is an essential contribution to the fields of Persian paleography and historical linguistics, providing deep insights into how the visual representation of Īrānian languages has shaped their structural evolution over a millennium. Proceeding from the origins of writing to the complexities of the modern alphabet, the author provides a compelling narrative on the agency of script in the history of Īrān.