Parthian script

The Parthian script developed from the Aramaic script around the 2nd century BC and was used during the Parthian and Sassanian periods of the Persian empire. The latest known inscription dates from 292 AD. It is also known as Inscriptional Parthian, as was mainly used for inscriptions on clay tablets and coins.

Notable features

Written from right to left in horizontal lines
Only some vowels are indicated and the letters used to represent them have multiple pronunciations
The letters marked in red were used to write loan words from Aramaic
Used to write: Parthian (Arsacid Pahlavi / Pahlawānīg), an extinct Middle Iranian language which originated in the ancient province of Parthia (in the northeast of modern day Iran) and was spoken until about the 3rd century AD.

Inscriptional Parthian alphabet

Parthian script

Download an alphabet chart for Parthian (Excel)

Sample text

By Unknown author - Oriental Institute, Public Domain, Link

Links

Information about Parthian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inscriptional_Parthian http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/parthian_history_language.php
http://www.parthia.com/parthia_language.htm
https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07207r-n3286r-parthian-pahlavi.pdf

Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), University of London: http://www.cais-soas.com

Iranian languages

Avestan, Bactrian Baluchi, Bartangi, Dari, Gilaki, Hazaragi, Ishkashimi, Judeo-Persian, Juhuri, Khufi, Kumzari, Kurdish, Luri, Mazandarani, Munji, Ossetian, Ormuri, Oroshor, Persian, Parthian, Pashto, Rushani, Sanglechi, Sarikoli, Shabaki, Shughni, Tajik, Talysh, Tat, Wakhi, Wanetsi, Yaghnobi, Yazghulami, Yidgha, Zazaki

Consonant alphabets (Abjads)

Ancient Berber, Arabic, Aramaic, Chorasmian, Elymaic, Hatran, Hebrew, Manichaean, Nabataean, North Arabian, Pahlavi, Palmyrene, Parthian, Phoenician, Paleo-Hebrew, Proto-Sinaitic / Proto-Canaanite, Psalter, Punic, Sabaean, Samaritan, Sogdian, South Arabian, Syriac, Tifinagh, Ugaritic

Other writing systems

Page last modified: 10.06.24

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