Hadramawtian

The Hadramawtian language is an extinct language that was spoken in the region of Hadramawt in southern Arabia. It is classified as one of the Epigraphic or Old South Arabian languages, distinct from the Modern South Arabian languages spoken today. The earliest inscriptions in Old South Arabian date back to the 8th century BCE, and Hadramawtian is among these ancient languages, alongside Minaean, Sabaean, and Qatabanian. These ancient inscriptions were written in a Semitic alphabet that included 29 consonant signs but did not indicate vowels. The region of Hadramawt itself is a geographical area in southern Arabia, east of Aden, Yemen, with its chief town being Al Mukalla.12