Book Pahlavi
Cursive Middle Iranian script
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Book Pahlavi is the cursive[2] variant of the Pahlavi script, which was derived from the Aramaic script during the Sassanid period to write the Middle Persian language. Book Pahlavi was used primarily for writing books and documents, especially Zoroastrian works in Pahlavi, but later also for inscriptions.[3]
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| Book Pahlavi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Script type | with heterograms |
Period | c. 3rd century – c. 11th century AD |
| Direction | Right-to-left |
| Languages | Middle Persian language |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | |
Child systems | |
| ISO 15924 | |
| ISO 15924 | Phlv, 133 |
Book Pahlavi is an abjad, meaning there are no unique vowel symbols, although it does make use of matres lectionis.[2] Much like rasm in the Arabic script, a single letterform can be used for multiple letters, as they merged over time.[2] (To avoid confusion, these are still usually transliterated differently.) Further ambiguity is added by the fact that the boundaries between letters are not clear, and many letters look identical to combinations of other letters.[4] Like other variants of Pahlavi, many Aramaic-language heterograms (Middle Persian huzwāreš; also called "Aramaeograms") are used in Book Pahlavi texts.[5] In transliteration, these are written as capital letters to differentiate them from Middle Persian words.[6]
The Avestan script was derived from Book Pahlavi as a phonetic alphabet with 52 characters (including 15 vowel characters) in order to compile the traditional sacred texts of the Avesta into a book. Sometimes, Middle Persian can be written in the Avestan script, where it is referred to as Pazend.
Letters
| Letter name | Letter | in Middle Persian words | in heterograms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Transliteration | transcription | Transliteration | |
| Aleph |  |
ʼ | (zero), ā, a | A |
| Heth | h | h, x | Ḥ / H | |
| Beth |  |
b | b | B |
| Gimel |  |
g | g | G |
| Daleth | d | d, y | D | |
| Yodh | y | y, j, ē, ī, e, i | Y | |
| Hē |  |
[a] | H / E | |
| Waw |  |
w | w, ō, ū, o, u | W |
| Nun | n | n | N | |
| Ayin | [a] | ʿ / O | ||
| Resh | r | r | R | |
| (otiose sign) | | | [b] | | | |
| Zayin |  |
z | z | Z |
| Kaph |  |
k | g, k, γ | K |
| Old Kaph |  | |||
| Lamedh |  |
l | r, l | L |
| hooked Lamedh |  |
[a] | ||
| stroked Lamedh |  |
ɫ | l | [c] |
| Mem |  |
m | m | M |
| Qoph | [a] | Q | ||
| Samekh |  |
s | s, h | S |
| Pe |  |
p | b, p, f | P |
| Sadhe |  |
c / ṣ | č, z, j | Ṣ / C |
| Shin |  |
š | š, j | S |
| Taw |  |
t | d, t | T |
- only used in heterograms.
- the otiose sign is a silent sign identical to Waw, Nun, Ayin, and Resh that can mark the end of the word.
- only used in Middle Persian words.
Ligatures
Unlike other Pahlavi scripts, Book Pahlavi features extensive ligatures.[7] Many letters take on descending forms before the letters aleph-heth, gimel-daleth-yodh, pe, sadhe, and taw.[8]
Gallery
Tracing of a mid-6th century Sasanian inscription from the northern city wall of Darband. It is written in a cursive (top-to-bottom, left-to-right) script close to that of Book Pahlavi, but with some forms typical of Inscriptional Pahlavi inscriptions.[note 1]
A tomb tower in Lajim, dated 1022/23, with its upper Middle Persian inscription in a script derived from Book Pahlavi.[13]
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