Ossetic

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A language of Russian Federation

ISO 639-3
oss
Alternate Names
Osetin, Ossete, Ossetian
Autonym
ирон æвзаг‎ (iron ævzag)
User 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 Maps
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:

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