Inscriptional Parthian

Inscriptional Parthian is a script used to write Parthian language on coins of Parthia from the time of Arsaces I of Parthia (250 BC). It was also used for inscriptions of Parthian (mostly on clay fragments) and later Sassanian periods (mostly on official inscriptions).

Inscriptional Parthian
Parthian version of Shapur I's inscription at Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
Type
LanguagesParthian language
Time period
250 BC
Parent systems
Aramaic alphabet
DirectionRight-to-left
ISO 15924Prti, 130
Unicode alias
Inscriptional Parthian
U+10B40–U+10B5F

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

Parthian (above), along with Greek (below) and Middle Persian was being used in inscriptions of early Sassanian kings. Shapur inscription in Naqsh-e Rajab

Letters

Inscriptional Parthian uses 22 letters:[1]

Name[A]ImageTextIPA[2]
Aleph 𐭀 /a/, /aː/
Beth 𐭁 /b/, /v/
Gimel 𐭂 /g/, /j/
Daleth 𐭃 /d/, /j/
He 𐭄 /h/
Waw 𐭅 /v/, /r/
Zayin 𐭆 /z/
Heth 𐭇 /h/, /x/
Teth 𐭈 /t/
Yodh 𐭉 /j/, /ĕː/, /ĭː/
Kaph 𐭊 /k/
Lamedh 𐭋 /l/
Mem 𐭌 /m/
Nun 𐭍 /n/
Samekh 𐭎 /s/
Ayin 𐭏 /ʔ/
Pe 𐭐 /p/, /b/
Sadhe 𐭑 /s/
Qoph 𐭒 /q/
Resh 𐭓 /r/
Shin 𐭔 /ʃ/, /ʒ/
Taw 𐭕 /t/, /d/
  1. ^
    Letter names are based on the corresponding Imperial Aramaic characters[1]

Ligatures

Inscriptional Parthian uses seven standard ligatures:[1]

LigatureSequence
ImageText
𐭂𐭅𐭂 (gimel) + 𐭅 (waw)
𐭇𐭅𐭇 (heth) + 𐭅 (waw)
𐭉𐭅𐭉 (yodh) + 𐭅 (waw)
𐭍𐭅𐭍 (nun) + 𐭅 (waw)
𐭏𐭋𐭏 (ayin) + 𐭋 (lamedh)
𐭓𐭅𐭓 (resh) + 𐭅 (waw)
𐭕𐭅𐭕 (taw) + 𐭅 (waw)

The letters sadhe (𐭑) and nun (𐭍) have swash tails which typically trail under the following letter.[1] For example:

LigatureSequence
ImageText
𐭍𐭍𐭍 (nun) + 𐭍 (nun)
𐭍𐭃𐭍 (nun) + 𐭃 (daleth)

Numbers

Inscriptional Parthian had its own numerals:

Value123410201001000
SignImage
Text 𐭘𐭙𐭚𐭛𐭜𐭝𐭞𐭟

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).[1]

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)
 0123456789ABCDEF
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 13.0
2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

References
  1. Everson, Michael; Pournader, Roozbeh (2007-08-24). "L2/07-207R: Proposal for encoding the Inscriptional Parthian, Inscriptional Pahlavi, and Psalter Pahlavi scripts in the SMP of the UCS" (PDF).
  2. Daniels, Peter T.; Bright, William, eds. (1996). The World's Writing Systems. Oxford University Press, Inc. pp. 518. ISBN 978-0195079937.
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