Which modern languages belong to the Iranian branch?

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The Iranian branch is a major subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, which are part of the Indo-European language family.12

Modern languages belonging to the Iranian branch include:

  • Persian (Fārsī): By far the most widely spoken modern Iranian language.3
  • Pashto: The first national language of Afghanistan.13
  • Kurdish: A language whose speakers often regard it as a key expression of their identity.13
  • Balochi: Another language that maintains a strong sense of identity among its speakers.3
  • Ossetic: Notable for maintaining an elaborate case system.14
  • Tajik: Closely connected to Persian.3

These languages are primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, and the Caucasus Mountains.2