Scythian languages
The Scythian languages (/ˈsɪθiən/ or /ˈsɪðiən/ or /ˈskɪθiən/) are a group of Eastern Iranic languages of the classical and late antique period (the Middle Iranic period), spoken in a vast region of Eurasia by the populations belonging to the Scythian cultures and their descendants. The dominant ethnic groups among the Scythian-speakers were nomadic pastoralists of Central Asia and the Pontic–Caspian steppe. Fragments of their speech known from inscriptions and words quoted in ancient authors as well as analysis of their names indicate that it was an Indo-European language, more specifically from the Iranic group of Indo-Iranic languages.
| Scythian | |
|---|---|
The approximate distribution of Eastern Iranic languages and peoples in 100 BC appears in green. | |
| Native to | Sarmatia, Scythia, Sistan, Scythia Minor, Alania |
| Region | Central Asia, West Asia, Eastern Europe |
| Ethnicity | Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans |
| Era | Classical antiquity, late antiquity Middle Ages (Alanian) |
| Dialects |
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| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously:xsc – Scythianxln – Alanianoos – Old Ossetian |
xsc Scythian | |
xln Alanian | |
oos Old Ossetian | |
| Glottolog | sogd1247 Sogdic-Osseticsaka1303 Saka-Wakhi |
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Most of the Scythian languages eventually became extinct, except for modern Ossetian (which descends from the Alanian dialect of Scytho-Sarmatian), Wakhi (which descends from the Khotanese and Tumshuqese forms of Scytho-Khotanese), and Yaghnobi (which descends from Sogdian). Alexander Lubotsky summarizes the known linguistic landscape as follows:
Unfortunately, we know next to nothing about the Scythian of that period [Old Iranian] – we have only a couple of personal and tribal names in Greek and Persian sources at our disposal – and cannot even determine with any degree of certainty whether it was a single language.