Scytho-Sarmatian language

Also known as: Old Ossetic language

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July 13, 2026

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The Scytho-Sarmatian language is an extinct East Iranian language, likely a dialect of the language family that also includes modern Ossetic. Little is known about this language, with evidence primarily consisting of names found in inscriptions dating to the 2nd to 4th centuries CE. These inscriptions originate from the region north of the Black Sea, in what is now Ukraine. The Sarmatians themselves were a people of Iranian stock who migrated from Central Asia and settled in parts of Eastern Europe. While related to the Scythians, they developed distinct cultural and linguistic traits.123

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Iranian languages
Middle Iranian
…well-known are Old Ossetic (Scytho-Sarmatian) and Bactrian, but from what is known it would seem likely that those languages were equally distinctive. There was probably more than one dialect of each of the languages of the eastern group, although there is certainty only in the case of Saka, for…
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…well-known are Old Ossetic (Scytho-Sarmatian) and Bactrian, but from what is known it would seem likely that those languages were equally distinctive. There was probably more than one dialect of each of the languages of the eastern group, although there is certainty only in the case of Saka, for…
Read More