Manichaean

The Manichaean script evolved fromSyriac Estrangelo with influences from theSogdian script. It is believed by some to have been devised in the 3rd century AD by Mani, the founder of the Manichaean religion, and was used until the 10th century.

During the 19th century German expeditions discovered a number of Manichaean manuscripts at Bulayiq on the Silk Road, near Turfan in north-west China.

Notable features

Type of writing system:abjad / consonant alphabet
Writing direction: right to left in horizontal lines.
Some of the letters have separate final forms which are used at the ends of words.
Script family:Proto-Sinaitic,Phoenician,Aramaic,Syriac,Sogdian, Manichaean
Used to write: Middle Persian, Sogdian, Parthian, Bactrian, Uyhur, Old Turkish and Tokharian.

Manichaean script

Sample text

Sample text in Manichaean

A Selection of Manichaean Texts in the Manichaean Script

Links

Information about the Manichaean script
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaean_script
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaean_scripture
https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/manichean-script

Manichaean font
https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Sans+Manichaean

Information about the Manichaean religion
http://www.farvardyn.com/mani.php

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

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: 13.04.23

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