Kathuran language

The Kathuran Language (ܠܫܢܐ ܟܬ݁ܘܪܝܝܐ Leššānā Kaṯuryāyā), also known as Church Cildanian, is an ancient Qedarite (Semitic) language, originally spoken in the Barmenian provinces of Arakhim and Kathuristan. In the Middle Ages Kathuran was the official language of the Kingdom of Arakhim, and the language became the vehicle of Qedarite Hosianism and culture, spreading across the continent of Majatra and as far as Aldegar. Although Kathuran became extinct in the early modern age, Kathuran remains the liturgical language of several Apostolic Hosian Churches.

Writing system


During antiquity, Kathuran was written in the Arakhim Abjad, derived from the Cildanian (Phoenician) Abjad. The square version of the Arakhim Abjad is currently the official script for writing the Yeudish language (Hebrew) and the Cildanian language (Phoenician), where it is known as the Yeudish script and the Cildanian script, respectively. Around the 1st century CE, a cursive version of the Arakhim script slowly emerged, giving birth to the Kathuran (Syriac) Abjad, currently used to write Classical Kathuran, also known as Church Cildanian. The Majatran (Arabic) script was born from the Kathuran script.