Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Scythian language

Scythian language

9.9
An old Iranian speech used by ancient Scythians in the Eurasian steppes and now extinct
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : lengua escita
  • The Scythian language was spoken by ancient nomadic tribes.

Examples

  • Researchers have found evidence of the Scythian language in inscriptions across the Eurasian steppes.

  • The Scythian language is no longer spoken but has been studied through ancient texts.

  • Her thesis focused on the grammar and vocabulary of the Scythian language.

  • Scholars have studied the Scythian languages for centuries.

  • Her thesis focused on the grammar and vocabulary of the Scythian language.

  • Researchers have found evidence of the Scythian language in inscriptions across the Eurasian steppes.

  • The Scythian language is no longer spoken but has been studied through ancient texts.

Synonyms

Scythian
vsScythian language
9.9

An old language once spoken by people who lived north of the Black Sea

notes that the language is now extinct rather than just once used

Surface Forms

Scythian language singular
Scythian languages plural

Morphology

Scythian + language

This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase: 'Scythian' identifies a people/ethnic group and 'language' names the system they speak, so the meaning 'the language of the Scythians' is directly derivable from the parts. The 'X language' pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English compounding, making it immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

Scythian language is named after the Scythians, a people of ancient horse riders who lived on the wide grasslands of Eurasia. Their speech was an old form of Iranian languages and is now 'extinct', so Scythian language means the old language those people spoke.