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The Western Iranian languages
The Western Iranian languages are a branch of the Iranian language family, which itself is part of the larger Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. These languages are spoken in a vast region that spans Southwest Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and parts of western South Asia. They have historical roots dating back to the Old Persian and Median languages, with evidence of their existence from the 6th century BC. The Western Iranian languages are traditionally divided into two main subgroups: Northwestern Iranian and Southwestern Iranian. The Northwestern Iranian languages include languages such as Gilaki, Mazandarani, Talysh, and various Kurdish dialects. These languages are spoken in regions like the…
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The Ossetians
The Ossetians are an Iranian ethnic group native to the region of Ossetia, which is located in the northern and southern Caucasus Mountains. They are historically and linguistically related to the Alans, an ancient Iranian-speaking people. The Ossetian homeland is split between Russia’s North Ossetia–Alania and the de facto independent Republic of South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as part of Georgia. Ossetians speak Ossetic, a language belonging to the Eastern Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. The language is unique because it is the only surviving member of the Alanic branch of the Iranian languages. While Ossetic is the mother tongue of most Ossetians, many are also fluent…
