Oscan

American  

[os-kuhn] / ˈɒs kən /

noun

1. one of an ancient people of south-central Italy.

2. the Indo-European, probably Italic, language of the Oscans, written in an alphabet derived from the Etruscan.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Oscans or their language.

Oscan British  

/ ˈɒskən /

noun

1. an extinct language of ancient S Italy belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European family See also Osco-Umbrian

2. a speaker of this language; Samnite

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adjective

1. of or relating to this language

Other Word Forms

• non-Oscan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Oscan

1590–1600; Latin Osc(ī) the Oscans + -an

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Oscan

The Umbrian and Oscan dialects retained the s throughout as the sign of the genitive after nouns in a.

From Lectures on The Science of Language by Max Müller

An important Oscan inscription relates to a treaty with Nola, regarding a joint temple of Hercules, attributable to the 2nd century B.C.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 "Austria, Lower" to "Bacon" by Various

In the 3rd century we find it issuing coins with an Oscan legend, but in 211 B.C. it shared the fate of Capua.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various

From steep Saticulum the sturdy swain, 874 Fierce for the fray, comes down and joins the Oscan train.

From The Æneid of Virgil Translated into English Verse by E. Fairfax Taylor by Edward Fairfax Taylor

That the Etruscan, Sabellian, Oscan, Samnite, and other national dances of the country had some influence on the art in Rome is highly probable, but the paucity of early Roman examples renders the evidence difficult.

From The Dance (by An Antiquary) Historic Illustrations of Dancing from 3300 B.C. to 1911 A.D. by Anonymous