The emergence of typography shifted written language into a mechanical tool of transmitting meaning, thereby further reducing the connection of representation of language with the language itself which began with the development of writing systems. Developed from various writing systems and languages, typography is the primary mode of visual communication of language. It has become even more important in the digital world we are living in today.

This research examines the relationship of Arabic script conventions and classifications in the context of typographic representation, and how typographic representations of the Arabic language have been distorted due to the influence of Latin typographic guidelines in the development of Arabic typefaces. This history has failed to produce Arabic typefaces that accord with the unique cultural, linguistic and contextual character of the Arabic writing system.

To address this, an investigation was carried out, through multiple design research methods and methodologies incorporating typographic studies and theories of embodiment applied to the evolution of the Arabic writing system, calligraphy and typography in the Arab region. The investigation aims to better understand, and respond to problems in the use of typefaces at the intersection of languages and cultures.

Through the generation of a typeface classificatory system, linking the ground rules of calligraphic scripts, structural influences of Arabic letterforms, and adapting them into existing typefaces used today, this research proposes a tool to assist designers in the making of typographic decisions in the setting of Arabic language, and in its relationship to roman typography.

Key words : Typography, classificatory attributes, Arabic language, culture, linguistics, embodiment