Old North Arabian language

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July 1, 2026

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Old North Arabian refers to a group of Semitic dialects spoken in northern and central Arabia from at least the 4th century CE. These dialects, including Safaitic, Thamudic, and Liḥyanite, are closely related to Arabic but not directly descended from it. The ancient inscriptions found in these languages are written in a South Semitic script, distinct from the North Semitic script used for modern Arabic. While these languages have historical significance, they are not considered to be the direct ancestors of modern Arabic.12

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history of Arabia
Prehistory and archaeology
…the dominant linguistic form is Old North Arabian (subclassified into Liḥyānic, Thamūdic, and Ṣafaitic); despite close connections between this group and Arabic, the latter cannot be regarded as lineally descended from it. The Yemenite inscriptions are in Old South Arabian (subclassified into Minaean, Sabaean, Qatabānian, and Hadhramautic), which is a…
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…the dominant linguistic form is Old North Arabian (subclassified into Liḥyānic, Thamūdic, and Ṣafaitic); despite close connections between this group and Arabic, the latter cannot be regarded as lineally descended from it. The Yemenite inscriptions are in Old South Arabian (subclassified into Minaean, Sabaean, Qatabānian, and Hadhramautic), which is a…
Read More