OSS ISO 639-3
Ossetic
ирон æвзаг (iron ævzag) Autonym
A language of Russian Federation
- ISO 639
- oss
- Alternate Names
- Osetin, Ossete, Ossetian
- Autonym
- ирон æвзаг (iron ævzag)
- Population
- 451,000 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 529,000 (2010 census). Total users in all countries: 599,050.
- Location:
- Kabardino-Balkar republic, North Ossetia-Alania republic; north of Ossetic in Georgia.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (1994, Constitution of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Article 15).
- Classification
- Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Northeastern
- Dialects
- Digor, Iron. Digor and Iron (the major dialect) are mutually unintelligible. Russian [rus] is used as a lingua franca by both groups.
- Language Use
- Most also use Russian [rus].
- Language Development
- NT: 2004.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Ossetic
- Writing
- Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in Russia since 1844 and in Georgia since 1954. Georgian (Mkhedruli and Mtavruli) script [Geor], used in Georgia until 1954. Latin script [Latn], used in Russia during the 1920s–1930s.
- Other Comments
- Christian, Muslim.
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Azerbaijan
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
2,700 in Azerbaijan (Leclerc 2017b).
- Location
- Imereti region: Sachkhere municipality; Kvemo Kartli region: small border areas near T’bilisi; Mtskheta-Mtianeti region: Akhalagori and Mtskheta municipalities; Racha-Lochkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti region: Oni municipality; Shida Kartli region: Gori and Tskhinvali municipalities.
- Dialects
- Digor (Digorian, Digoron, Dogor), Iron, Kudar (South Osetin). Digor and Iron (the major dialect) are mutually unintelligible; may be separate languages.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Christian. View other languages of Georgia
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
39,000 in Georgia (Leclerc 2015).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kazakhstan
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
2,400 in Kazakhstan (Leclerc 2017e).
- Location
- Dara’a province.
- Dialects
- Iron, Digor.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Syria
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
50,000 in Syria (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Turkmenistan
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
3,800 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Ankara and Istanbul urban areas; Antalya and Mugla provinces along Mediterranean coast; Bitlis, Erzurum, and Kars (Sankamis district) provinces east.
- Dialects
- Digor, Tagaur, Kurtat, Allagir, Tual, Iron.
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Christian, Muslim. View other languages of Turkey
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
41,000 in Turkey (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Ukraine
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
1,150 in Ukraine (2001 census). Ethnic population: 4,830 (2001 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Uzbekistan
Language Name
Ossetic
User Population
7,800 in Uzbekistan (2019).
Map
Location: Kabardino-Balkar republic, North Ossetia-Alania republic; north of Ossetic in Georgia.
Size and Vitality
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