Sabaean

language

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July 13, 2026

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Sabaean refers to a South Arabian people who founded the ancient kingdom of Saba (biblical Sheba). They were known for their wealth and trade, particularly in spices, and flourished from about 950 to 115 BCE. The Sabaeans were responsible for impressive construction projects, including significant parts of the dam at Marib.12

The Sabaean language is a Semitic language and a form of South Arabic. It is related to the South Semitic alphabet, which developed around the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE and is distinct from the North Semitic alphabet. The Sabaean script spread to Africa, becoming the ancestor of the Ethiopic alphabet used in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea.34

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South Arabian languages
…include the 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…
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…include the 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…
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