Oscan language - Definition and Overview

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 and Greek alphabets, as well as in a variety of the Old Italic alphabet. 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.

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. 

External link

• Oscan vocabulary (http://www.wordgumbo.com/ie/cmp/osca.htm).