Parthian script

E657279

Parthian script is an ancient Middle Iranian writing system used primarily for the Parthian language of the Parthian Empire, derived from the Aramaic script and influential on later Central Asian scripts.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Parthian script canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical script
writing system
associatedWithDynasty Arsacid dynasty NERFINISHED
associatedWithReligion Zoroastrianism (cultural context) NERFINISHED
derivedFrom Aramaic script NERFINISHED
geopoliticalContext Hellenistic and post-Hellenistic Near East
ancient Iran
hasFeature Aramaic heterograms
consonant-based notation
cursive tendencies
limited vowel indication
hasTransliterationStandard scholarly Latin-based transliteration
hasUnicodeStatus not yet encoded as a separate Unicode block (as of 2024)
historicalUsage declined after the rise of Middle Persian scripts
influenced Manichaean script NERFINISHED
Old Uyghur script NERFINISHED
Pahlavi script NERFINISHED
Sogdian script NERFINISHED
various Central Asian scripts
languageFamilyWritten Northwest Iranian languages NERFINISHED
languageWritten Parthian NERFINISHED
relatedTo Imperial Aramaic script NERFINISHED
Inscriptional Parthian NERFINISHED
scriptDirection right-to-left
scriptFamily Aramaic-derived scripts
subclassOf Middle Iranian script
timePeriod Middle Iranian period
usedBy Parthians NERFINISHED
usedFor writing the Parthian language
usedFrom approximately 3rd century BCE
usedIn Parthian Empire NERFINISHED
usedInContext coins
graffiti
ostraca
royal inscriptions
usedInRegion Central Asia NERFINISHED
Iranian Plateau NERFINISHED
Mesopotamia NERFINISHED
usedUntil approximately 3rd century CE
writingSystemFamily Aramaic script NERFINISHED
writingSystemScope administrative documents
inscriptions
secular texts
writingSystemType consonantal alphabet

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

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

Sogdian alphabet relatedTo Parthian script