Qatabanian

language

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July 13, 2026

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Qatabanian refers to both the inhabitants of the ancient South Arabian kingdom of Qataban and their language. This language is classified as one of the Epigraphic or Old South Arabian languages, which are extinct Semitic languages attested in ancient inscriptions. The Qatabanian kingdom was centered in Wadi Bayḥān, with its capital at Timnaʿ. While early references to Qataban appear in Sabaean inscriptions, native Qatabanian inscriptions date back to at least the 4th century BCE. The Qatabanian language, like other Old South Arabian languages, was written in a Semitic alphabet that did not indicate vowels.123

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South Arabian languages
extinct languages Minaean, Sabaean, Qatabanian, and Ḥaḍramawtian . The earliest Old South Arabian inscriptions, dating from the 8th century bce, are in the Minaean dialect. Sabaean is the dialect of the majority of South Arabic inscriptions; the latest inscriptions are from the 6th century ce. The type of Semitic…
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extinct languages Minaean, Sabaean, Qatabanian, and Ḥaḍramawtian . The earliest Old South Arabian inscriptions, dating from the 8th century bce, are in the Minaean dialect. Sabaean is the dialect of the majority of South Arabic inscriptions; the latest inscriptions are from the 6th century ce. The type of Semitic…
Read More