Iranian languages
Branch of Indo-Iranian languages spoken by Iranian peoples.
The Iranian languages, also called Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages within the Indo-European family.
- language_family
- Indo-European (Indo-Iranian branch)
- directly_attested_old_languages
- Old Persian, Avestan
- major_middle_languages
- Middle Persian, Parthian, Bactrian
- branches
- Western (Southwestern, Northwestern) and Eastern (Southeastern, Northeastern)
Lore & Background
The Iranian languages descend from Proto-Iranian, which evolved from Proto-Indo-Iranian around the early 2nd millennium BCE, possibly linked to the Andronovo culture of Central Asia. Proto-Iranian innovations include the shift of *s to *h and changes in stop consonants. Only two Old Iranian languages are directly attested: Old Persian, from the Achaemenid Empire, and Avestan, the language of the Zoroastrian Avesta. Middle Iranian languages such as Middle Persian, Parthian, and Bactrian are better understood from the Sasanian, Parthian, and Kushan/Hephthalite empires respectively.
Reader's Guide
The Iranian languages are significant for their long historical record and role in the cultural and political history of the Iranian Plateau and surrounding regions. They are grouped into Western and Eastern branches, though Avestan does not fit neatly into this division and is sometimes classified as Central Iranian. The languages include major modern members such as Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, and Ossetian, reflecting a wide geographic and historical spread. The study of these languages provides insight into the migration and settlement of Iranian peoples across southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Iranian Plateau.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Iran' derives from Middle Persian 'Ērān', first attested in a third-century inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam.
- Proto-Iranian turned the sibilant fricative *s into the non-sibilant fricative glottal *h.
- Avestan is subdivided into Old (Gathic) Avestan and Younger Avestan, with Old Avestan being as archaic as Rigvedic Sanskrit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Iranian languages's powers/role?
It splits into two major branches—Western (Southwestern and Northwestern) and Eastern (Southeastern and Northeastern)—giving it a wide geographic and typological spread. Its most directly attested Old-stage members are Old Persian and Avestan, while the Middle Iranian stage produced key languages such as Middle Persian, Parthian, and Bactrian.
Why is Iranian languages important?
It provides some of the oldest directly attested written records in the Indo-European tree, notably Avestan and Old Persian, which anchor our knowledge of early Indo-Iranian phonology and morphology. Its Middle Iranian languages also shaped the administrative, literary, and religious life of the region for nearly a millennium.
Who are Iranian languages's closest relatives?
Iranian languages is the sister branch to the Indo-Aryan languages; together they form the Indo-Iranian sub-family before diverging into their separate Western/Eastern Iranian and Indo-Aryan lineages. This makes every Indo-Aryan language a first cousin to every Iranian language within the broader Indo-European family.
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