Iranian Languages and Dialects, Part XIII: Ossetian | ИРОН ӔВЗАГ This episode is a special tribute to my late professor and mentor, Professor Dr. Roland Bielmeier (1943-2013) Summary In this comprehensive episode, we journey through the rich tapestry of Ossetic cultural history, ‎literature, and language. Starting with the linguistic isolation of Ossetic from its Central Asian ‎relatives, we explore how this language developed unique traits influenced by neighboring Turkic ‎and Caucasian languages. Phonetic changes, such as the introduction of glottal stops, and ‎grammatical adaptations like orientational preverbs and compound verbs, reflect these ‎interactions. Despite external influences, Ossetic retains many core features of Old Aryan, ‎particularly in its verb structure and lack of ergativity.‎ We delve into the pre-literary evidence of Ossetic, examining medieval Alanic inscriptions, word ‎lists, and grammatical sketches, and trace the development of Ossetic writing through early ‎Christian texts and the pioneering efforts of scholars like Ivane Ialghuzidze ივანე ‎იალღუზიძე (1775–1830) and Andrey Sjögren. From early translations of religious texts to the ‎eventual standardization of the Ossetic alphabet, the language has seen significant evolution.‎ Khetägkatị K’osta, the "father" of Ossetic literature, is a central figure in this episode, known for his ‎iconic poetry collection *Iron Fändịr* ("The Ossetic Lyre"). We explore the rise of Ossetic ‎literature after the Russian Revolution and its prominent use of the Iron dialect. Ossetic folklore, ‎particularly the Nart epic cycle—shared with other North Caucasian cultures and rooted in ‎ancient Iranian myths—is highlighted as a significant cultural heritage.‎ The Ossetic lexicon reveals deep Iranian origins, especially in core vocabulary and kinship terms. ‎However, many loanwords from Turkic and Caucasian languages have become embedded in the ‎language, particularly for describing social and natural phenomena. Notably, Azeri Turkish served ‎as a cultural bridge, while Russian has influenced modern technical and political terms.‎ This episode provides a thorough understanding of the linguistic evolution, cultural exchanges, ‎and literary development of Ossetic, offering insights into how historical forces shaped this ‎unique language and its modern dialects. For those interested in listening to living dialects of ‎Balochi, I’ve included some links to videos here where you can hear them in ‎action: Ossetic Language: Link Comparing Ossetian and Persian Persian and Ossetian in Comparison by ILoveLanguages Listening to an Ossetian Poem Recited by a Native A Look at the Iron or Ossetian Language, Which is One of the Northeastern Iranian Verb Table in Ossetic Ирон: Present ‎Stem Past Stem Gloss mar (мар)‎ mard (мард)‎ to kill cf. mart, mourir etc. ‎ dar (дар)‎ dard (дард)‎ to hold, to keep, cf. dāt, dādan war (уар)‎ ward (уард)‎ to rain cf. bār, bārnān kʼaχ (къах)‎ kʼaχt ‎‎(къахт)‎ to dig dəs (дæс)‎ dəst (дæст)‎ to shave wɨn (уын)‎ wɨnd (уынд)‎ to see cf. bīn, vīn, dīdan dom (дом)‎ domd ‎‎(домд)‎ to demand Keywords ‎#OsseticLiterature; #KhetagkatịKosta; #IronDialect; #OsseticFolklore; #NartEpic; ‎‎#IranianHeritage; #CaucasianCultures; #OsseticLexicon; #LanguageInfluence; #AzeriTurkish; ‎‎#RussianInfluence; #Patronymics; #IranianMythology; #NorthCaucasus; #BalochiDialect; ‎‎#OsseticNames; #TurkicLoanwords; #OsseticCulture‎