Old South Arabian
Encyclopedia
Old South Arabian is the term used to describe four extinct, closely related languages spoken in the far southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula
. There were a number of other Sayhadic languages (e.g. Awsanic), of which very little evidence survived, however. All those languages were distinct from Classical Arabic
, which developed among Arab tribes of the regions of Najd
and Hijaz, and most Semitic languages.
The four main Old South Arabian languages were Sabaic
, Minaeic
(or Madhabic), Qatabanic
, and Hadramitic
. According to Alice Faber (based on Hetzron's work), together with Ethiopian Semitic languages
(such as the contemporary Ge'ez language
) and the Modern South Arabian languages (not descended from Old South Arabian but from a sister language), they formed the western branch of the South Semitic languages.
Old South Arabian had its own writing system, the South Arabian alphabet
, concurrently used for proto-Ge'ez in the Kingdom of D`mt, ultimately sharing a common origin with the other Semitic abjads, the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
.
The arrival of Islam
virtually disintegrated Old South Arabian, as Classical Arabic
became the lingua franca
of the region. Today, Old South Arabian is extinct, only existing in a few ancient texts and inscriptions. It has, however, contributed to the local Arabic dialects of the region in much the same way that Coptic
has contributed to the Egyptian dialect of Arabic
.
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. There were a number of other Sayhadic languages (e.g. Awsanic), of which very little evidence survived, however. All those languages were distinct from Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic , also known as Qur'anic or Koranic Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times . It is based on the Medieval dialects of Arab tribes...
, which developed among Arab tribes of the regions of Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
and Hijaz, and most Semitic languages.
The four main Old South Arabian languages were Sabaic
Sabaean language
Sabaean , also known as Himyarite , was an Old South Arabian language spoken in Yemen from c. 1000 BC to the 6th century AD, by the Sabaeans; it was used as a written language by some other peoples of Ancient Yemen, including the Hashidites, Sirwahites, Humlanites, Ghaymanites, Himyarites,...
, Minaeic
Minaean language
The Minaean language was an Old South Arabian language spoken in Yemen between 1200 BC and AD 100. The main area of its use may be localized in al-Jawf part of North-East Yemen, first of all in the Wadi Madhab...
(or Madhabic), Qatabanic
Qatabanian language
One of the four better documented languages of the Old South Arabian sub-group, Qatabanian was used in Yemen between 800 BC and 200 AD, mainly in the Kingdom of Qataban.-References:...
, and Hadramitic
Hadramautic language
One of the four known dialects of Old South Arabian, Hadramautic was spoken in what is known as present-day Yemen between 100 BC and 600 AD, in particular, but not exclusively, in the area known as Hadramawt....
. According to Alice Faber (based on Hetzron's work), together with Ethiopian Semitic languages
Ethiopian Semitic languages
Ethiopian Semitic is a language group, which together with Old South Arabian forms the Western branch of the South Semitic languages. The languages are spoken in both Ethiopia and Eritrea...
(such as the contemporary Ge'ez language
Ge'ez language
Ge'ez is an ancient South Semitic language that developed in the northern region of Ethiopia and southern Eritrea in the Horn of Africa...
) and the Modern South Arabian languages (not descended from Old South Arabian but from a sister language), they formed the western branch of the South Semitic languages.
- Sabaean languageSabaean languageSabaean , also known as Himyarite , was an Old South Arabian language spoken in Yemen from c. 1000 BC to the 6th century AD, by the Sabaeans; it was used as a written language by some other peoples of Ancient Yemen, including the Hashidites, Sirwahites, Humlanites, Ghaymanites, Himyarites,...
- Minaean languageMinaean languageThe Minaean language was an Old South Arabian language spoken in Yemen between 1200 BC and AD 100. The main area of its use may be localized in al-Jawf part of North-East Yemen, first of all in the Wadi Madhab...
- Qatabanian languageQatabanian languageOne of the four better documented languages of the Old South Arabian sub-group, Qatabanian was used in Yemen between 800 BC and 200 AD, mainly in the Kingdom of Qataban.-References:...
- Hadramautic languageHadramautic languageOne of the four known dialects of Old South Arabian, Hadramautic was spoken in what is known as present-day Yemen between 100 BC and 600 AD, in particular, but not exclusively, in the area known as Hadramawt....
Old South Arabian had its own writing system, the South Arabian alphabet
South Arabian alphabet
The ancient Yemeni alphabet branched from the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet in about the 9th century BC. It was used for writing the Yemeni Old South Arabic languages of the Sabaean, Qatabanian, Hadramautic, Minaean, Himyarite, and proto-Ge'ez in Dʿmt...
, concurrently used for proto-Ge'ez in the Kingdom of D`mt, ultimately sharing a common origin with the other Semitic abjads, the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
Proto-Sinaitic is a Middle Bronze Age script attested in a very small collection of inscriptions at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai Peninsula. Due to the extreme scarcity of Proto-Sinaitic signs, very little is known with certainty about the nature of the script...
.
The arrival of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
virtually disintegrated Old South Arabian, as Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic , also known as Qur'anic or Koranic Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times . It is based on the Medieval dialects of Arab tribes...
became the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
of the region. Today, Old South Arabian is extinct, only existing in a few ancient texts and inscriptions. It has, however, contributed to the local Arabic dialects of the region in much the same way that Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
has contributed to the Egyptian dialect of Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic is the language spoken by contemporary Egyptians.It is more commonly known locally as the Egyptian colloquial language or Egyptian dialect ....
.
See also
- Modern South Arabian
- South Arabian alphabetSouth Arabian alphabetThe ancient Yemeni alphabet branched from the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet in about the 9th century BC. It was used for writing the Yemeni Old South Arabic languages of the Sabaean, Qatabanian, Hadramautic, Minaean, Himyarite, and proto-Ge'ez in Dʿmt...