Language > Median Language
Median Language
Background
The Median language was an ancient Iranian language spoken by the Medes, an Indo-European people who inhabited the western and northwestern regions of present-day Iran during the 1st millennium BCE. While the exact nature of the Median language remains somewhat obscure due to limited surviving sources, it is believed to have been closely related to Old Persian and other ancient Iranian languages.
The Median language belonged to the Indo-European language family, which includes languages such as Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and Germanic languages. Within the Indo-European family, Median was classified as part of the Iranian branch, along with other ancient Iranian languages like Old Persian, Avestan, and Scythian. Median was a Northwestern Iranian language, sharing linguistic features with other languages of the Iranian plateau. It exhibited similarities with Old Persian, particularly in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and phonology. Despite its historical significance, only a few inscriptions and references to the Median language have survived, making it challenging to reconstruct its grammar and vocabulary.
Writing System
Cuneiform Script: Like many ancient languages of the Near East, Median was written using the cuneiform script, which was adapted from Sumerian and later used by various languages in the region.
While some inscriptions in the cuneiform script have been attributed to the Medes, most surviving texts are in Old Persian or other languages of the Achaemenid Empire. The Medes played a significant role in the history of ancient Iran and the Near East, influencing subsequent Iranian peoples and contributing to the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region. With the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and the consolidation of Persian power in Iran, Old Persian gradually supplanted Median as the dominant language of administration and culture.
The Median language was an ancient Iranian language spoken by the Medes, an Indo-European people who inhabited western Iran during the 1st millennium BCE. While much about the Median language remains uncertain due to limited surviving evidence, it played a significant role in the history and development of Iranian languages and cultures, serving as a precursor to Old Persian and contributing to the rich linguistic heritage of the Iranian plateau.
