Inscriptional Parthian

Inscriptional Parthian
Parthian version of Shapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
Script type	Abjad
Time period	250 BC
Direction	Unicode range	U+10B40–U+10B5F

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

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

Letters

Inscriptional Parthian uses 22 letters:^[1]

Name[A]	Image	Text	IPA[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/

Ligatures

Inscriptional Parthian uses seven standard

Ligature		Sequence
Image	Text
	𐭂𐭅	𐭂 (gimel) + 𐭅 (waw)
	𐭇𐭅	𐭇 (heth) + 𐭅 (waw)
	𐭉𐭅	𐭉 (yodh) + 𐭅 (waw)
	𐭍𐭅	𐭍 (nun) + 𐭅 (waw)
	𐭏𐭋	𐭏 (ayin) + 𐭋 (lamedh)
	𐭓𐭅	𐭓 (resh) + 𐭅 (waw)
	𐭕𐭅	𐭕 (taw) + 𐭅 (waw)

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

Ligature		Sequence
Image	Text
	𐭍𐭍	𐭍 (nun) + 𐭍 (nun)
	𐭍𐭃	𐭍 (nun) + 𐭃 (daleth)

Numbers

Inscriptional Parthian had its own numerals:

Value		1	2	3	4	10	20	100	1000
Sign	Image
	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).^[1]

Unicode

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:

References