Nabataean Final Kaph

𐢎 is Nabataean kaph in its word-final form. Nabataean writing mainly records consonants, so the surrounding word helps identify a letter's role. “Final” marks where kaph sits in the word, not a different meaning.

Read it as part of the surrounding Nabataean text; alone, it cannot identify a whole word. Its drawn shape can vary between fonts and historical handwriting.

What is the history of Nabataean final kaph?

It marks where kaph falls at the end of a word. Nabataean writing developed from Aramaic writing, and scribes used increasingly connected, cursive forms.

The oldest dated Nabataean inscription identified at Petra is from 96 BCE: a dedication to Dushara, a Nabataean deity, by Aṣlaḥ. Surviving texts include public inscriptions, dedications, and graffiti, recording names, honors, greetings, and other messages.

How did Nabataean writing lead to Arabic?

The script changed gradually over several centuries. Petra Museum describes position-based shape changes beginning in the first century BCE as Nabataean writing became more cursive. The last known Nabataean inscription at Hegra is dated AD 356; the transition toward Arabic spans the fourth and fifth centuries.

Nabataean inscriptions belong to a multilingual record that also includes Aramaic, Arabic, and Greek texts. This single letter cannot identify the language of the surrounding text.