Definition & Meaning of "abjad"

What is an "abjad"?

An abjad is a type of writing system where each symbol mainly represents a consonant, while vowels are often left out or shown with special marks. This is different from alphabets, which represent both consonants and vowels. For example, in the Arabic script, the word "ktb" can mean "kataba," which means "to write," but the vowels are not usually written. Abjads are important in the study of writing systems because they show different ways to represent spoken language, affecting how languages are read and written.