Inscriptional Parthian

Inscriptional Parthian
File:Shapur Kabe Zartosht.png Parthian version of Shapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
Script type	Abjad
Period	c. 100 CE – c. 400 CE
Languages	Parthian language
Related scripts
Parent systems	Aramaic alphabet Pahlavi scripts Inscriptional Parthian
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Prti (130), ​Inscriptional Parthian
Unicode
Unicode alias	Inscriptional Parthian
Unicode range	U+10B40–U+10B5F

Inscriptional Parthian was a script used to write the Parthian language; the majority of the text found has been from clay fragments. This script was used from the 2nd century CE to the 5th century CE or in the Parthian Empire to the early Sasanian Empire. During the Sasanian Empire, it was mostly used for official texts.

Inscriptional Parthian is written right to left, and the letters are not joined.

File:Naqsh-e Rajab - Shapur parade - detail of inscription.jpg

Parthian (above), along with Greek (below) and Middle Persian (Right) at Naqsh-e Rajab.

File:F6, Parthian Script, Inscribed Stone Blocks of Paikuli Tower.jpg

Inscribed stone block from the Paikuli inscription, 293 CE

Letters

Inscriptional Parthian uses 22 letters:

Name	Image	Text	Principal phones (IPA; Parthian)	Transliteration
Aleph	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Aleph.svg	𐭀‎	[a], [aː]	ʾ
Beth	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Beth.svg	𐭁‎	[b], [w]	b
Gimel	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Gimel.svg	𐭂‎	[ɡ], [ɣ]	g
Daleth	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Daleth.svg	𐭃‎	[d], [ð]	d
He	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter He.svg	𐭄‎	—	h
Waw	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Waw.svg	𐭅‎	[w], [o(ː)], [u(ː)]	w
Zayin	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Zayin.svg	𐭆‎	[z], [ʒ]	z
Heth	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Heth.svg	𐭇‎	[h], [x]	ḥ
Teth	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Teth.svg	𐭈‎	—	ṭ
Yodh	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Yodh.svg	𐭉‎	[j], [e(ː)], [i(ː)]	y
Kaph	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Kaph.svg	𐭊‎	[k], [g]	k
Lamedh	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Lamedh.svg	𐭋‎	[l]	l
Mem	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Mem.svg	𐭌‎	[m]	m
Nun	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Nun.svg	𐭍‎	[n]	n
Samekh	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Samekh.svg	𐭎‎	[s]	s
Ayin	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Ayin.svg	𐭏‎	—	ʿ
Pe	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Pe.svg	𐭐‎	[p], [b]	p
Sadhe	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Sadhe.svg	𐭑‎	[t͡ʃ]	ṣ
Qoph	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Qoph.svg	𐭒‎	—	q
Resh	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Resh.svg	𐭓‎	[r]	r
Shin	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Shin.svg	𐭔‎	[ʃ], [ʒ]	š
Taw	File:Inscriptional Parthian Letter Taw.svg	𐭕‎	[t], [d]	t

Ligatures

Inscriptional Parthian uses seven standard ligatures:

Ligature		Sequence
Image	Text
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Gimel Waw.svg	𐭂𐭅‎	𐭂‎ (gimel) + 𐭅‎ (waw)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Heth Waw.svg	𐭇𐭅‎	𐭇‎ (heth) + 𐭅‎ (waw)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Yodh Waw.svg	𐭉𐭅‎	𐭉‎ (yodh) + 𐭅‎ (waw)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Nun Waw.svg	𐭍𐭅‎	𐭍‎ (nun) + 𐭅‎ (waw)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Ayin Lamedh.svg	𐭏𐭋‎	𐭏‎ (ayin) + 𐭋‎ (lamedh)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Resh Waw.svg	𐭓𐭅‎	𐭓‎ (resh) + 𐭅‎ (waw)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Taw Waw.svg	𐭕𐭅‎	𐭕‎ (taw) + 𐭅‎ (waw)

The letters sadhe (𐭑) and nun (𐭍) have swash tails which typically trail under the following letter.

Ligature		Sequence
Image	Text
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Nun Nun.svg	𐭍𐭍‎	𐭍‎ (nun) + 𐭍‎ (nun)
File:Inscriptional Parthian Ligature Nun Daleth.svg	𐭍𐭃‎	𐭍‎ (nun) + 𐭃‎ (daleth)

Numerals

Inscriptional Parthian uses its own numerals:

Value		1	2	3	4	10	20	100	1000
Sign	Image	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number One.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number Two.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number Three.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number Four.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number Ten.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number Twenty.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number One Hundred.svg	File:Inscriptional Parthian Number One Thousand.svg
	Text	𐭘‎	𐭙‎	𐭚‎	𐭛‎	𐭜‎	𐭝‎	𐭞‎	𐭟‎

Numbers are written right-to-left. Numbers without corresponding numerals are additive. For example, 158 is written as 𐭞𐭝𐭝𐭜𐭛𐭛‎ (100 + 20 + 20 + 10 + 4 + 4).

Unicode

Main article: Inscriptional Parthian (Unicode block)

Inscriptional Parthian script was added to the Unicode Standard in October 2009, with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for Inscriptional Parthian is U+10B40–U+10B5F:

Inscriptional Parthian[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

U+10B4x

𐭀

𐭁

𐭂

𐭃

𐭄

𐭅

𐭆

𐭇

𐭈

𐭉

𐭊

𐭋

𐭌

𐭍

𐭎

𐭏

U+10B5x

𐭐

𐭑

𐭒

𐭓

𐭔

𐭕

𐭘

𐭙

𐭚

𐭛

𐭜

𐭝

𐭞

𐭟

Notes 1.^ As of Unicode version 17.0 2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Gallery

• Error creating thumbnail:
  A probably commemorative bronze coin of Vologases IV (ca. 147–191 CE), with the legend ⤸ʾršk ⤹wlgšy ⤺MLKYN ⤻MLKA (𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔𐭉 𐭌𐭋𐭊𐭉𐭍 𐭌𐭋𐭊𐭀‎) 'Arsacid Vologases, king of kings'. Minted at Edessa.
• Error creating thumbnail:
  Greek and Parthian on a bronze statuette of Hercules from Seleucia on the Tigris. The inscription dates it to 151 CE. Housed in the Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
• Error creating thumbnail:
  Relief of Artabanus IV handing the ring of power to Khwasak, satrap of Susa. From Susa, Iran Bastan Museum, Tehran, 215 CE
• Error creating thumbnail:
  Inscription next to one of the petroglyphs of Kāl-i J̌angāl, a gorge near Birjand. Probably of early Sassanian date.