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Ossetian

Ossetian

8.8
A person from Ossetia, a region in the Caucasus
  • noun
  • /əˈsɛʃən/
translation icon : osetio
  • Many Ossetians speak both their native language and Russian fluently.

Examples

  • An Ossetian man shared stories of his homeland.

  • The Ossetians have a rich cultural heritage.

  • The Ossetian community in the city organizes cultural events every summer.

  • She learned about Ossetian traditions while traveling through the Caucasus.

  • The Ossetian community in the city organizes cultural events every summer.

  • Many Ossetians speak both their native language and Russian fluently.

  • She learned about Ossetian traditions while traveling through the Caucasus.

Compounds

A disputed region in the South Caucasus that declared independence from Georgia and is recognized by only a few countries

Surface Forms

Ossetian singular
Ossetians plural

Morphology

Ossetian = Ossetia (transparent) = Osseti + an

The noun for a person from Ossetia is the regular demonym formed from the place name with '-an', which learners can transparently infer.

Etymology

Ossetian comes from the place name Ossetia, via Russian and Georgian words for the people who live there and who descend from the old Alans. The suffix -ian means 'a person from', like in Russian, so an Ossetian is 'a person from Ossetia'.