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Glite Dictionary
Oscan-speaking

Oscan-speaking

9.9
Able to speak Oscan, an ancient language once used in southern Italy
  • adjective
: oscano
  • The ancient historian wrote extensively about the Oscan-speaking communities in Southern Italy.

Examples

  • Linguists have studied the Oscan-speaking populations to uncover their unique cultural heritage.

  • To better understand the inscriptions, he learned the Oscan-speaking dialect used by the local tribes.

  • However, when he when he ruled, he brought in some Italian mercenaries, some Oscan speaking troops from Campania known as the Mamertines.

Surface Forms

Oscan-speaking positive

Morphology

Oscan-speaking = Oscan + speaking (transparent) = Oscan + speak + ing

The compound directly combines the language name and 'speaking' to indicate ability to speak that language, a transparent and productive construction.

Etymology

The word Oscan-speaking comes from Oscan, the name of an old people and their language in southern Italy, and the everyday English word speaking ('to speak'). So Oscan-speaking means being able to speak the old Oscan language.