Old Syriac Graphotactics

Abstract

This paper examines the graphotactic development of the Old Syriac script. It provides a graphotactically-motivated edition of the oldest Syriac inscription from 6 ce, indicating graph joining and the spacing between graphs. The main claim of the paper is that Old Syriac writing was less cursive in the first century than the second, and the second century was less cursive than the third. Indeed, a number of graphemes, which are dual-joining in Classical Syriac, were right-joining in Old Syriac. The resulting data also help in confirming the dating of the earliest inscription and in settling at least one disputed reading.