The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Oscan

the language of the Oscans; a language of the Italic subgroup (Osco-Umbrian branch) of the Indo-European family of languages.

Osean texts written in the Etruscan, Greek, and Latin alphabets date from the fifth to the first century B.C. Approximately 300 Osean inscriptions have been preserved in the form of coin legends, grave inscriptions, dedications, and inscriptions on landmark stones.

The Osean language had more than 11 dialects. It was characterized by the retention of diphthongs and intervocalic -s-, the transition of labiovelars to labials, and anaptyxis (introduction of a vowel sound in a consonant cluster in order to facilitate pronunciation).

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References in periodicals archive

'OSCAN notes that these qualities shall well be considered in its choice of who governs the state and therefore urges political parties to pick the best among their aspirants as their flag-bearers.'

Osun 2018: CAN lists conditions for parties, governorship aspirants

In the case of Pompeii, for example, Aldrete stresses the importance of preservation, rather than discussing Oscan, Roman, and Hellenistic influences, or reassessing the postulated model character of Rome.

Daily Life in the Roman City: Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia

The change of *s to *z affected not only Latin and Umbrian but also Oscan.

Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction

The word is related to Italic *puclo- 'son, boy', preserved in inscriptions, Oscan puklum (3rdCBC) '= filium, puerum' (Buck 243-46), and Pelignian puclois (c.3rdCBC) '= filiis, pueris' (Bottiglioni 334); both related to Ancient Sanskrit putra- 'a son', and from which also derives the equally rare Latin pusus, pusa (2ndCBC) 'young, little boy or girl', and pusio (1stCBC) 'little boy'.

Latin and late Latin *puta 'concubine, sexual sleeping partner' and old French pute

The bearer of an Oscan name, Pacuvius was probably educated at Tarentum.

Pacuvius, Marcus

830), and Oscan ligatuis nuvlanuis should at least be designated as oblique (dat., abl., or loc.) plural following the translation 'legates from Nole' (p.

An encyclopedia of ancient languages

A concluding chapter treats an important Oscan inscription.

Reading the Past: Ancient Writing from Cuneiform to the Alphabet

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