Old South Arabian Numeric Indicator

It brackets a number written in Old South Arabian. The enclosed signs give the quantity; 𐩿 has no value itself.

The origin of the Old South Arabian alphabet is debated; scholars trace it to a branch of Proto-Canaanite, an early alphabetic writing tradition, that split off before 1000 BCE. The earliest Sabaic inscriptions date to the eighth century BCE; use continued through the sixth century CE.

Which signs make up the number?

The indicator frames the number; other signs carry its value.

Old South Arabian number signs are mostly additive. Four also serve as letters; 𐩽 also separates words. Putting 10, 50, or 100 before 1,000 indicates a multiple of 1,000.

The script served Sabaic, Minaic, Qatabanic, and Hadramitic. Its documented descendants include pre-Islamic North Arabian writing and the Ethiopic syllabary; this links writing systems, not this marker to an Ethiopic numeral.

Why does Old South Arabian run right-to-left?

It generally runs right-to-left; some early lines alternate.

Some early inscriptions use boustrophedon: each line runs in the opposite direction, and the glyphs may be mirrored.

Surviving formal texts appear on stone, altars, statues, walls, and metal, especially legal and dedicatory inscriptions. Quicker writing on wooden sticks preserves everyday texts. Arabic writing later replaced the script.