Iranian languages
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Iranian Languages
The Iranian languages (/ɪˈræniən læŋˈɡwɪdʒɪz/), also known as Iranic languages, constitute a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, which in turn are a subgroup of Indo-European languages. The Iranian languages are spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, and scattered communities in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Etymology
The term "Iranian" is derived from the term "Iran", which comes from the Old Persian word Ariya, meaning "noble". The term "Iranic" is used to denote the languages that have evolved from the ancient Iranian languages.
Classification
The Iranian languages are divided into two main groups: Western Iranian and Eastern Iranian.
- Western Iranian includes languages such as Persian, Kurdish, Balochi, and Luri.
- Eastern Iranian includes languages such as Pashto, Ossetian, Yaghnobi, and Pamir languages.
Related Terms
- Indo-European languages: A large language family native to western and southern Eurasia.
- Indo-Iranian languages: A major branch of the Indo-European language family.
- Persian language: The most widely spoken member of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages.
- Kurdish language: A language of the Western Iranian subgroup, spoken by the Kurds.
- Pashto language: An Eastern Iranian language, spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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