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Sogdian

Sogdian

9.9
An old alphabet used in ancient Central Asia to write a local language
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : escritura sogdiana
  • Linguists are analyzing Sogdian texts to trace the evolution of ancient Iranian languages.

Examples

  • Students studied Sogdian manuscripts to better understand the culture of Central Asia.

  • The archaeologists discovered Sogdian inscriptions on the ancient scrolls found in the ruins.

  • But she finds some Sogdian documents that look like mortgages.

Surface Forms

Sogdian singular
Sogdians plural

Morphology

Sogdian = Sogdia (transparent) = Sogdia + ian

The name of the script is directly adjectival/relational to the language/place 'Sogdia' via the suffix '-ian'.

Etymology

Sogdian for the script is named after the people of Sogdiana who used it, so the Sogdian script is the 'writing' of those Central Asian traders and scribes. This is why manuscripts from the Silk Road are called Sogdian.