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18:00 Jan 20, 2010 

Dear Mr. Naseeruddin, I must thank you for raising the issue. People nowadays have been using both the spellings, while some are pretending supremacy by taking a side. I remember having read a particular grammar asserting that the spelling with hamza is the correct one, and since then I've been using this form. Most articles in wikipedia use this spelling, but in bbcurdu.com, both are found. As both these spellings are accepted, no one should take advantage of any particular spelling.

17:52 Jan 20, 2010 

I agree that we shouldn't call something wrong, when it is obviously in use, and that's why I said both are correct. I have "re-corrected" some spellings based on CRULP's dictionary (where my سنیے was changed to سنئے by an editor, which I changed back), but I explained to the non-Urdu party that neither was incorrect, I just preferred the version I used for specific reasons. The reason I think the spellings with 'humza' will phase out is because it will not be feasible to have two different spellings of something in this age of computerization of everything. There are many older spellings in Urdu language which are no more even without computerization. And although they are present in older and authentic literature, they will be considered wrong if used now. Ex. کمرہ/کمرا, تیار/طیار. Words like لئے، کیجئے، سنئے etc are not in that category yet since they are still widely used, but their future may be bleak especially if institutions under the government of Pakistan pick one version over the other.

17:40 Jan 20, 2010 

I fully agree with Naseeruddin's, " It appears that some people are playing to prove their supremacy by unnecessary pointing out mistakes with different spellings. We all colleagues in Urdu should use uniform platform for these spelling issues, otherwise the problem will further strengthen." In fact, we are all victims of these so called ''Proof Readers" who, in order to prove their work to be genuine, sometimes consider their duty to fill a beautifully translated text with track changes. The PMs who can't read/understand the language fall prey to these tactics, resulting occassionally in failure of well experienced translators which hurts them, no doubt.

17:11 Jan 20, 2010 

I could agree with Qudsia but here we are not into inventing new spellings. The simple issue here is whether hamza is correct or Yay and finally the outcome here is that both are correct. Recently, one of the proofreader changed my hamza to Yay saying hamza is not the correct spelling though I have been using Hamza for years. The led me to post the query here. If we call Yay to be modern spelling, still we cannot delete Hamza. This is why I feel pain on this issue. Now another issue might come into light as to what is modern Urdu these days?? For me, it appears that some people are playing to prove their supremacy by unnecessary pointing out mistakes with different spellings. We all colleagues in Urdu should use a same platform for these spelling issues otherwise the problem will further strengthen though we have the liberty and power. Years ago, I was taught by a Urdu linguist that knowledge is not a property of any author or dictionary writer. This is purely a matter of brain - that means matter of Linguists. Sorry, if I bored all of you with this discussion :).

15:36 Jan 20, 2010 

I agree with Riaz sahib that you cannot call any of the two spellings incorrect.

15:34 Jan 20, 2010 

I think many words that were commonly spelled with ء (humza) are now being spelled with "yay" more and more, and these seem to be the modern spellings. CRULP does not even list some of the words that used to be spelled with "humza" like کیجئے، دیجئے etc., replacing them with کیجیے، دیجیے versions. After an editor changed my لئے to لیے I've been using the spellings with "yay" whenever there's a choice as they seem to be the current spellings. I think the "humza" version may eventually phase out.