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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.

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 is written in the Latin, Greek, and native Oscan alphabet s. Dialects of Oscan include Samnite, Marrucine, Paelignan, Vestinian, Sabine, Volscian and Marsian.

The term 'Oscan' also tentatively describes the language and culture of the Osci, an ancient people of central and southern Italy.

the Oscan alphabet:

1 Example of an Oscan text (the Cippus Abellanus):

ekkum[svaí píd herieset trííbarak[avúm tereí púd liímítú[m] pernúm [púís herekleís fíísnú mefi[ú íst, ehtrad feíhúss pú[s herekleís fíísnam amfr et, pert víam pússtíst paí íp íst, pústin slagím senateís suveís tangi núd tríbarakavúm lí kítud. íním íúk tríba rakkiuf pam núvlanús tríbarakattuset íúk trí barakkiuf íním úíttiuf abellanúm estud. avt púst feíhúís pús físnam am fret, eíseí tereí nep abel lanús nep núvlanús pídum tríbarakattíns. avt the savrúm púd eseí tereí íst, pún patensíns, múíníkad ta[n ginúd patensíns, íním píd e[íseí thesavreí púkkapíd ee[stit a]íttíúm alttram alttr[ús h]erríns. avt anter slagím a]bellanam íním núvlanam s]úllad víú uruvú íst . edú e]ísaí víaí mefiaí teremen n]iú staíet.

2 External link



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