Oscan language

Oscan was the language of the Samnites; it belonged to the Oscan - Umbrian branch of the Italic languages ​​, which are in turn a branch of Indo-European.

Expansion of the language area

At the time of its greatest expansion before the Roman conquest, the language area of the Oscan extended substantially over the southern half of mainland Italy, ie the regions Samnium, Campania and Lucania; this was still the Samnite from the Mamertines, mercenaries, captured Messina in Sicily. By Oscan overcoated older Italic languages ​​, which were originally more closely related with the Umbra, the Marrukiner, Päligner and Vestinians were spoken in the central Italian region.

Text corpus

The Oscan is currently known only by about 650 inscriptions. Among these, however, are only four to five longer texts; most traditions consist of a few words or even letters.

Although all parts of the Oscan language area are represented, supplies most of the inscriptions from Samnium and Campania ( there especially from Capua and Pompeii ).

In terms of content, the repertoire is relatively limited. There are mainly found:

• Alphabet arias
• Grave inscriptions
• Dedicatory inscriptions
• Building inscriptions
• Official state contracts
• Legislation
• Festival Calendar
• Owner inscriptions on vessels
• Stamp (on tiles )
• Curse tablets
• Graffiti

This Oscan belongs to the category of debris languages ​​, as we large parts of the grammar and vocabulary are unknown.

Temporal classification

The oldest inscriptions, which are not written in the language of the actual Osker date from the 6th century BC; the bulk of the Oscan tradition dates from the 3rd to the 1st century BC. From Pompeii wall inscriptions are known, which must have been written only relatively shortly before the destruction of the city in 79 AD.

Ekkum [ Svai PID herieset trííbarak [ AVUM Terei PUD liímítú [m ] pernúm [ Puis herekleís fíísnú mefi [ ú is ehtrad feíhúss pú [s herekleís fíísnam AMFR et, pert viam pússtíst Paí IP, Pustin slagím senateís suveís tangi NUD tríbarakavúm lí kítud. Inim ICT Tribune rakkiuf pam núvlanús tríbarakattuset ICT trí barakkiuf Inim úíttiuf abellanúm estud. avt Pust feíhúís Pus físnam on fret, Eisei Terei nep abel Lanús nep núvlanús pídum tríbarakattíns. avt the savrúm PUD ESEI Terei is Pun patensíns, múíníkad ta [n ginúd patensíns, Inim e pid [ ISEI thesavreí púkkapíd ee [ stit a] íttíúm alttram alttr [ ús h] erríns. avt anter slagím a] bellanam Inim núvlanam s] úllad VIU uruvú Ist. Edú e] Jesse víaí mefiaí teremen n] iú staíet.

Item [ si quid volent ] aedificare [ in territorio quod limitibus tenus [ quibus ] Herculis fanum medium est, extra muros, qui Herculis fanum ambiunt, trans viam positum est, quae ibi est, per finibus senatus sententia sui, aedificare liceto. Et quod id Aedificium Nolani aedificaverint, et usus Nolanorum esto. Item si quid Abellani aedificaverint, id Aedificium et usus Abellanorum esto. at post muros qui fanum ambi - unt, in eo territorio neque Avel - lani neque Nolani quidquam aedificaverint. At the- Saurum qui in eo est territorio, cum aperirent, communi - ested parties tia aperirent, et Quidquid in eo Thesauro quandoque extat, cape rent. At inter fines Abellanos et Nolanos ubique via felxa est - in ea via media termina constant.

Likewise, they can on the site where appropriate, build buildings, and that on the abgemarkten temple associated surface, but outside the walls surrounding of Heracles Temple itself, both sides of the road located there, before the respective boundary lines [ between the temple precincts and the two communities ] with the approval of the competent Senate. A building that build the Nolan, may also use the Nolan [ alone ], and also allowed a the Abellaner of them built building exclusively use. But within the enclosing of the sanctuary, neither the Abellaner nor the Nolan build anything. The Treasury, which within this [ narrow ] temple range, should both sides only Open a joint decision. All that someday in this Treasure house will be stored, a part of both sides equally. Furthermore serves between the field of Nolan on the one hand and the Abellaner the other hand, the road everywhere as a common border. The landmarks are in their midst.

According to system

Vowels

The Oscan different six simple vowels, two rounded ( / u /, / ɔ / ) and four unrounded ( / i /, / e /, / ɛ /, / a / ), of which except / ɔ / and / ɛ / all of which occur also lengthened. The open vowels can combine with subsequent / i / or / u / to the five diphthongs / ɛi̯ /, / ai /, / au /, / ɔi̯ / and / ɔu̯ /.

The long vowels are often expressed in terms of double letters, for example: NIIR / NER / = gr ἀνήρ Aner, man ', TR ꜔ STAAMENTVD / trestāmɛntɔd / ≈ Latin testamento. From the distribution of these spellings is concluded that inherited vowel length has been preserved only in the respective first syllable of a word except before a nasal, and that stated at the time of reduction of the remaining long vowels, the BC to the period between 450-350 AD is, the word accent must have lain on that first syllable. In addition to the inherited lengths occur later new, caused by compensatory lengthening long vowels (eg SAAHTV̇M / sāhtɔm / = Latin sanctum, holy, consecrated ').

Consonants

The Oscan had three voiceless and three voiced plosives: the bilabial / p / and / b /, the dental / t / and / d /, the velar / k / and / g /. For this, the fricatives / f /, / s / were ( with a voiced allophone between vowels ) and / h /, the nasal / m / and / n /, the Liquidae / r / and / l / and the semi-vowels / i / and / u /.

Historical sound change

Vowel loss and attenuation

The loss of inherited short vowels takes place in two phases: v. Even before the 6th century AD dwindle generally first in final syllables before auslautendem s ( HV̇RZ / hɔrts / < * g ʰ ORTOS > Latin hortus 'garden'; LV̇VKIS / lɔu̯kis /, Lucius '); in the 4th or late 5th century BC, they die in the open as well as in on / s / closing single syllables ( FACTVD / faktud / < * face death > Latin facitō, Carry; ! MINSTREIS / minstrɛes / < * minus - tero -, less ").

Only sporadically and only in addition to labial consonants there are examples of the for Latin typical single syllable weakening the same end sound change, the result is always a designated with the letter V sound is PRVPVKID < * Pro-Pak, predetermined ', PRAEFVCVS < * prai - fak, , attached ', PERTUMUM < * pert emom.