Oscan

For people who check facts

Oscan, the language of the Osci, is in the Sabellic branch of the Italic language family, which is a branch of Indo-European and includes Umbrian, Latin and Faliscan. It was spoken in Samnium and in Campania, as well as in Lucania and Abruzzo. Oscan is known from inscriptions beginning in the 5th century BC. The most important Oscan inscriptions are the Tabula Bantina and the Cippus Abellanus. Oscan is written in the Latin, Greek, and native Oscan alphabets. Dialects of Oscan include Samnite, Marrucine, Paelignan, Vestinian, Sabine, Volscian and Marsian.

The term 'Oscan' also tentatively describes the language and culture of the Osci, an ancient people of central and southern Italy.

the Oscan alphabet:
Image:Oscanalphabet.png

''This image is not licensed under the GFDL. It is under a non-commercial-use only licence.

Example of an Oscan text (the Cippus Abellanus:

ekkum[svaÃÂ pÃÂd herieset
trÃÂÃÂbarak[avÃÂºm tereÃÂ pÃÂºd
liÃÂmÃÂtÃÂº[m] pernÃÂºm [pÃÂºÃÂs
herekleÃÂs fÃÂÃÂsnÃÂº mefi[ÃÂº
ÃÂst, ehtrad feÃÂhÃÂºss pÃÂº[s
herekleÃÂs fÃÂÃÂsnam amfr
et, pert vÃÂam pÃÂºsstÃÂst
paÃÂ ÃÂp ÃÂst, pÃÂºstin slagÃÂm
senateÃÂs suveÃÂs tangi
nÃÂºd trÃÂbarakavÃÂºm lÃÂ
kÃÂtud. ÃÂnÃÂm ÃÂÃÂºk trÃÂba
rakkiuf pam nÃÂºvlanÃÂºs
trÃÂbarakattuset ÃÂÃÂºk trÃÂ
barakkiuf ÃÂnÃÂm ÃÂºÃÂttiuf
abellanÃÂºm estud. avt
pÃÂºst feÃÂhÃÂºÃÂs pÃÂºs fÃÂsnam am
fret, eÃÂseÃÂ tereÃÂ nep abel
lanÃÂºs nep nÃÂºvlanÃÂºs pÃÂdum
trÃÂbarakattÃÂns. avt the
savrÃÂºm pÃÂºd eseÃÂ tereÃÂ ÃÂst,
pÃÂºn patensÃÂns, mÃÂºÃÂnÃÂkad ta[n
ginÃÂºd patensÃÂns, ÃÂnÃÂm pÃÂd e[ÃÂseÃÂ
thesavreÃÂ pÃÂºkkapÃÂd ee[stit
a]ÃÂttÃÂÃÂºm alttram alttr[ÃÂºs
h]errÃÂns. avt anter slagÃÂm
a]bellanam ÃÂnÃÂm nÃÂºvlanam
s]ÃÂºllad vÃÂÃÂº uruvÃÂº ÃÂst . edÃÂº
e]ÃÂsaÃÂ vÃÂaÃÂ mefiaÃÂ teremen
n]iÃÂº staÃÂet.

External link to Oscan vocabulary- http://www.wordgumbo.com/ie/cmp/osca.htm