Indices : Writing Systems : Arabic : Nastaliq, scholarly transcribed as nastaʿlîq

The name is a contraction of the Persian naskh-i taʿlîq which contains the element naskh "to copy a manuscript" and taʿlîq "to slant", connected by the conjunction -i. The name could be paraphrased as "cursive for manuscripts".

Nastaliq is a simplified derivative of historical, pre-typographic naskh. It retains all the connection rules characteristic of pre-typographic Arabic, be it that they are considerably less complex than those of pre-typographic naskh.

From a purely Western typographical perspective, nastaliq is considered to be "very complex". Ironically and apparently paradoxically, the first accurate metal typeface produced in the Arabic-scripted world - using Western typographic technology - was based on nastaliq.

Discussion:
Handwritten Indian Newspapers
Nastaliq Fonts
Urdu Features