Nabataean alphabet

E30231

The Nabataean alphabet is an ancient Northwest Semitic script used by the Nabataean kingdom, which evolved from the Phoenician writing system and later gave rise to the early Arabic script.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Northwest Semitic script
abjad
writing system
ancestorOf Arabic alphabet
surface form: "Classical Arabic script"

Kufic script
associatedWithReligion Arabian polytheism
early Christianity
derivedFrom Aramaic alphabet (historically)
surface form: "Aramaic alphabet"

Phoenician alphabet
developedInto Arabic alphabet
early Arabic script
follows Aramaic alphabet (historically)
surface form: "Aramaic alphabet"
hasScriptCodeISO15924 Nbat
hasUnicodeBlock Nabataean Aramaic
surface form: "Nabataean"
historicalStatus extinct script
namedAfter Nabataean kingdom
surface form: "Nabataeans"
numberOfLettersApprox 22
relatedTo Hebrew alphabet
Palmyrene alphabet
East Syriac script
surface form: "Syriac alphabet"
replacedBy Arabic alphabet
scriptFamily Aramaic script family
Phoenician alphabet
surface form: "Phoenician script family"
scriptFeatures contextual letter shaping
cursive letterforms
ligatures between letters
subclassOf Semitic abjad
consonantal alphabet
timePeriod circa 2nd century BCE to 4th century CE
UnicodeBlockRange U+10880–U+108AF
usedBy Nabataean kingdom
surface form: "Nabataeans"
usedFor administrative texts
funerary inscriptions
inscriptions
religious inscriptions
usedForLanguage Nabataean Aramaic
usedIn Nabataean kingdom
surface form: "Nabataean Kingdom"
usedInRegion Petra
surface form: "Hegra (Madain Salih)"

Northern Arabia
surface form: "North Arabia"

Arabia Petraea
surface form: "Petra region"

Levant region
surface form: "Southern Levant"
usedUntilApprox 4th century CE
writingDirection right-to-left
writingMedium ostraca
parchment
rock graffiti
stone inscriptions
writingSystemScope monumental inscriptions
writingSystemType consonant-only script

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Aramaic alphabet (historically) ancestorOf Nabataean alphabet
subject surface form: "Aramaic alphabet"
Phoenician alphabet ancestorOf Nabataean alphabet
Phoenician language ancestorOf Nabataean alphabet
Arabic alphabet derivedFrom Nabataean alphabet
Dalet originatesFrom Nabataean alphabet
this entity surface form: "Phoenician letter Dalet"
Estrangela script relatedTo Nabataean alphabet
this entity surface form: "Nabataean script"
Hatra scriptUsed Nabataean alphabet
this entity surface form: "Hatran Aramaic script"
Nabataean Arabic writingSystem Nabataean alphabet
this entity surface form: "Nabataean Aramaic script"
Old Arabic writingSystem Nabataean alphabet
this entity surface form: "Nabataean Aramaic script"

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