Oscan | |
---|---|
![]() Denarius of Marsican Confederation with Oscan legend | |
Native to | Samnium, Campania, Lucania, Calabria and Abruzzo |
Region | south and south-central Italy |
Extinct | >79 AD[1] |
Indo-European
| |
Early forms | |
Dialects |
|
Old Italic alphabet | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | osc |
osc | |
Glottolog | osca1245 |
![]() Approximate distribution of languages in Iron Age Italy in the sixth century BCE | |
Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian and South Picene.
Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including the Samnites,[3] the Aurunci (Ausones), and the Sidicini. The latter two tribes were often grouped under the name "Osci". The Oscan group is part of the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic family, and includes the Oscan language and three variants (Hernican, Marrucinian and Paelignian) known only from inscriptions left by the Hernici, Marrucini and Paeligni, minor tribes of eastern central Italy. Adapted from the Etruscan alphabet, the Central Oscan alphabet was used to write Oscan in Campania and surrounding territories from the 5th century BCE until possibly the 1st century CE.[4]
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