Himyaritic

Himyaritic refers to the language or languages spoken by the ancient Himyarite civilization in what is now Yemen. It is a South Semitic language, belonging to the ancient South Arabian language family. Himyaritic script, also known as the Musnad script, is a distinct alphabet used for writing the language.

Historical records indicate that Himyaritic was spoken from roughly the first century BCE to the sixth century CE. It served as the official language of the Himyarite Kingdom, a powerful entity that controlled the southern Arabian Peninsula and engaged in extensive trade, particularly in frankincense and myrrh. The language's prominence declined with the decline of the Himyarite Kingdom and the eventual Arab conquests.

Scholars have reconstructed Himyaritic primarily through inscriptions found on monumental structures, tombs, and artifacts. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the grammar, vocabulary, and phonology of the language. While distinct from later Arabic, Himyaritic shares common roots with other Semitic languages, and its study contributes to understanding the evolution of the Semitic language family. The precise relationship between Himyaritic and other ancient South Arabian languages, such as Sabaean, is a subject of ongoing linguistic research.