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NON-SEMITIC OFFSHOOTS OF ARAMAIC
BRANCH
307
We can distinguish at least three varieties of the Pahlavi alphabets (Fig. 141-142):
(1) The north-western Pahlavi (that is the script of the Parthians), termed also Pahlavik or Arsacid, mainly on coins and gems of the Arsacid dynasty (Fig. 141, 1, col. 3).
مرده که اصحم
سنا سم اس سوات . س امداد کمی سے انار سه ره تر لسو ددوی د تولی
م مسوده در حمام ری سه لموسم. سه محمو دارم و مداد الصحف و جلوه داد
لحد جمله که به سمت سط محموه حمام له سه
دم که مقدسه مو
سكس محارمت. مدامعه سط رای دوه متصل مجمه
ر
د مد دل وسه ره سم لوله اعلم.
al
無
ده
سمید
魚子
دته العجول صص الان
ستحصل عم له: وكالة اسود من داره روی سود
سحت
Fig. 142-Specimen of cursive eastern Pahlavi
(2) The south-western Pahlavi (the script of the Persians, strictly speaking), termed also Parsik or Sasanian, in two forms, monumental and cursive (Fig. 141, 1, col. 5). There are also various monumental inscriptions; while the Arsacid dynasty was considered to be foreign, the Sasanids rated themselves as a national dynasty, and following the tradition of the great Achæmenid kings, they immortalized their deeds in rock sculptures and inscriptions.
(3) The eastern Pahlavi, of which only a cursive form is known (Fig. 142).
The Script
In the adaptation of the twenty-two Semitic letters to the Iranian language, the following modifications were introduced: aleph was adopted
