Nabataean Number One

It marks one in the Nabataean numeral system. Nabataean numbers have separate signs for one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty and one hundred. Some inscriptions also write two, three or four by repeating separate one-signs; larger values combine signs additively. Read a complete numeral from right to left.

Nabataean writing developed from Aramaic, a related writing system, and was used for the language of the Nabataean kingdom. It appears on monumental and funerary inscriptions, tomb texts, and legal, diplomatic and commercial documents. The earliest known Nabataean inscription is from Haluza, around 170 BCE.

Rome annexed the kingdom in 106 CE, but Nabataean writing continued into the fourth century CE. The Namara inscription from the fourth century CE, one of the oldest known Arabic texts, was written in Nabataean script. Nabataean was a precursor of Arabic script.

What does it mean in a message?

Treat it as a numeral first. In a modern message, it may be a Nabataean number, a script sample, or a reference to the writing tradition. If none fits the conversation, ask the sender instead of assigning it a private code.

Why might 𐢧 look different or disappear?

Right-to-left layout and font support shape what appears. Nabataean text and numerals run right to left, so their position can shift in mixed-script lines. Fonts draw historical forms differently, and Unicode does not require Nabataean signs to join. If a font has no Nabataean glyph, the app may show a box.