Oscan language

Oscan, the language of the Osci, is in the Sabellic branch of the Italic language family, which is a branch of Indo-European and includes Umbrian, Latin and Faliscan.

Related Topics:
Osci - Italic language family - Indo-European - Umbrian - Latin - Faliscan

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It was spoken in Samnium and in Campania, as well as in Lucania and Abruzzo. Oscan is known from inscriptions beginning in the 5th century BC. The most important Oscan inscriptions are the Tabula Bantina and the Cippus Abellanus. Oscan was written in the Latin and Greek alphabets, as well as in a variety of the Old Italic alphabet.

Related Topics:
Samnium - Campania - Lucania - Abruzzo - Inscription - 5th century BC - Tabula Bantina - Cippus Abellanus - Latin - Greek - Alphabet - Old Italic alphabet

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Dialects of Oscan include Samnite, Marrucine, Paelignan, Vestinian, Sabine, and Marsian.

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Oscan had much in common with Latin, though there are also many striking differences, and many common word-groups in Latin were absent and represented by entirely different forms. For example, Latin volo, velle, volui, and other such forms from the Proto-Indo-European root *wel ('to will') were represented by words derived from *gher ('to desire'): Oscan herest ('he wants, desires') as opposed to Latin vult (id.). Latin locus (place) was absent and represented by slaagid (place).

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In phonology Oscan also showed differences from Latin: Oscan 'p' in place of Latin 'qu' (Osc. pis, Lat. quis); 'b' in place of Latin 'v'; medial 'f' in contrast to Latin 'b' or 'd' (Osc. mefiai, Lat. mediae).

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Considered the most conservative of all the known Italic languages, Oscan is rivaled only by Greek in the retention of the inherited vowel system with the diphthongs intact.

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