Kharosthi

Kharosthi 𐨑𐨪𐨆𐨮𐨿𐨛𐨁𐨌
Script type	Abugida
Time period	4th century BCE – 3rd century CE
Direction	Right-to-left script
Languages	Gandhari Prakrit Pali Saka Sanskrit
Related scripts
Parent systems	Egyptian hieroglyphs Proto-Sinaitic script Phoenician alphabet Aramaic alphabet Kharosthi
Sister systems	Nabataean alphabet Brahmi script Syriac alphabet Palmyrene alphabet Mandaic alphabet Pahlavi scripts Sogdian alphabet
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Khar (305), ​Kharoshthi
Unicode
Unicode alias	Kharoshthi
Unicode range	U+10A00–U+10A5F
Kharosthi is widely held to be a derivation of Aramaic, whereas the Semitic origins of the Brahmic scripts are not universally agreed upon.[1][2][3][4][5]
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

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The Kharoṣṭhī script (Kharosthi: 𐨑𐨪𐨆𐨮𐨿𐨛𐨁𐨌, also spelled Kharoshthi), also known as the Gāndhārī script,^[6] was an ancient Indic script used by various peoples from the north-western outskirts of the Indian subcontinent (present-day Pakistan) to Central Asia via Afghanistan.^[1] An abugida, it was introduced at least by the middle of the 3rd century BCE, possibly during the 4th century BCE,^[7] and remained in use until it died out in its homeland around the 3rd century CE.^[1]

It was also in use in Bactria, the Kushan Empire, Sogdia, and along the Silk Road. There is some evidence it may have survived until the 7th century in Khotan and Niya, both cities in East Turkestan.