Inscriptional Parthian
Parthian version ofShapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
Script type	Abjad
Period	c. 100 CE –c. 400 CE[1]
Direction	Right-to-left script
Languages	Parthian language
Related scripts
Parent systems	Aramaic alphabet Pahlavi scripts Inscriptional Parthian
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Prti(130), ​Inscriptional Parthian
Unicode
Unicode alias	Inscriptional Parthian
Unicode range	U+10B40–U+10B5F

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Inscriptional Parthian was a script used to write theParthian language; the majority of the text found has been from clay fragments. This script was used from the 2nd century CE to the 5th century CE or in theParthian Empire to the earlySasanian Empire. During theSasanian Empire, it was mostly used for official texts.^{[2][3][citation needed]}

Inscriptional Parthian is written right to left, and the letters are not joined.^{[citation needed]}

Inscriptional Parthian uses 22 letters:^[3]

Name[A]	Image	Text	Principalphones (IPA; Parthian)[5]	Transliteration
Aleph		𐭀‎	[a],[aː]	ʾ
Beth		𐭁‎	[b],[w]	b
Gimel		𐭂‎	[ɡ],[ɣ]	g
Daleth		𐭃‎	[d],[ð]	d
He		𐭄‎	—	h
Waw		𐭅‎	[w],[o(ː)],[u(ː)]	w
Zayin		𐭆‎	[z],[ʒ]	z
Heth		𐭇‎	[h],[x]	ḥ
Teth		𐭈‎	—	ṭ
Yodh		𐭉‎	[j],[e(ː)],[i(ː)]	y
Kaph		𐭊‎	[k],[g]	k
Lamedh		𐭋‎	[l]	l
Mem		𐭌‎	[m]	m
Nun		𐭍‎	[n]	n
Samekh		𐭎‎	[s]	s
Ayin		𐭏‎	—	ʿ
Pe		𐭐‎	[p],[b]	p
Sadhe		𐭑‎	[t͡ʃ]	ṣ
Qoph		𐭒‎	—	q
Resh		𐭓‎	[r]	r
Shin		𐭔‎	[ʃ],[ʒ]	š
Taw		𐭕‎	[t],[d]	t

Inscriptional Parthian uses seven standardligatures:^[3]

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) haveswash tails which typically trail under the following letter.^[3]

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

Inscriptional Parthian uses its ownnumerals:

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 as𐭞𐭝𐭝𐭜𐭛𐭛‎ (100 + 20 + 20 + 10 + 4 + 4).^[3]

Inscriptional Parthian script was added to theUnicode Standard in October 2009, with the release of version 5.2.^{[citation needed]}

The Unicode block for Inscriptional Parthian is U+10B40–U+10B5F:

• 
  A probably commemorative bronze coin ofVologases IV (ca. 147–191 CE),Edessa mint.^[6]
• 
  Greek and Parthian on a bronze statuette of Hercules fromSeleucia on the Tigris. The inscription dates it to 151 CE. Housed in theIraq Museum, Baghdad.
• 
  Relief ofArtabanus IV handing the ring of power toKhwasak,satrap ofSusa, from Susa, Iran Bastan Museum, Tehran, 215 CE^[7]
• 
  Inscription next to one of thepetroglyphs of Kal Jangal [fa] nearBirjand,^{[note 1]} probably earlySassanian.^[8]

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