Indo-Iranian Geographic distribution: Southwest Asia, Central Asia, South Asia Linguistic Classification: Indo-European  Indo-Iranian Subdivisions: Indo-Aryan Iranian Nuristani ISO 639-5: iir The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani. The term Aryan languages is occasionally still used to refer to the Indo-Iranian languages.1 The speakers of the Proto-Indo-Iranian language, the hypothetical Proto-Indo-Iranians, are usually associated with the late 3rd millennium BC Andronovo and Sintashta-Petrovka cultures of Central Asia. Their expansion is believed to have been connected with the invention of the chariot. The contemporary Indo-Iranian languages form the largest sub-branch of Indo-European, with more than one billion speakers in total, stretching from Europe (Romani) and the Caucasus (Ossetian) eastward to Xinjiang (Sarikoli) and Assam (Assamese) and south to Sri Lanka (Sinhalese). SIL in a 2005 estimate counts a total of 308 varieties, the largest in terms of native speakers being Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu, ca. 540 million), Bengali (ca. 240 million), Punjabi (ca. 120 million), Marathi and Persian (ca. 100 million each), Gujarati (ca. 45 million), Kurdish (ca. 40 million), Pashto (35 million), Oriya (ca. 30 million), Sindhi (ca. 20 million) and Maithili (ca. 15million). Indo-Iranian languages were once spoken across a still wider area. The Scythians were described by Roman writer Strabo as inhabiting the lands to the north of the Black Sea in present-day Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. The river-names Don, Dnieper, Danube etc. are of Indo-Iranian origin. The so-called Migration Period saw Indo-Iranian languages disappear from Eastern Europe with the arrival of the Turkic-speaking Pechenegs and others by the eighth century AD.

The oldest attested Indo-Iranian languages are Vedic Sanskrit (ancient Indian), Avestan and Old Persian (two ancient Iranian languages). But there are written instances of a fourth language in Northern Mesopotamia (see Indo-Aryan superstrate in Mitanni) which is considered to be Indo-Aryan. It is attested in documents from the ancient empire of Mitanni and the Hittites of Anatolia. Contents 1 Subdivisions 2 See also 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External links // Subdivisions Indo-European topics Indo-European languages (list) Albanian · Armenian · Baltic Celtic · Germanic · Greek Indo-Iranian (Indo-Aryan, Iranian) Italic · Slavic   extinct: Anatolian · Paleo-Balkan (Dacian, Phrygian, Thracian) · Tocharian Proto-Indo-European language Vocabulary · Phonology · Sound laws · Ablaut · Root · Noun · Verb   Indo-European language-speaking peoples Europe: Balts · Slavs · Albanians · Italics · Celts · Germanic peoples · Greeks · Paleo-Balkans (Illyrians · Thracians · Dacians) · Asia: Anatolians (Hittites, Luwians)  · Armenians  · Indo-Iranians (Iranians · Indo-Aryans)  · Tocharians   Proto-Indo-Europeans Homeland · Society · Religion   Indo-European studies Indo-Aryan Group: Vedic Sanskrit Sanskrit Pāli Central Zone Hindustani Hindi Urdu Romani/Romany Eastern Zone (Magadhan Prakrit languages) Angika Assamese Bengali Bhojpuri Magahi Maithili Oriya Northern Zone (Pahari languages) Nepali Northwestern Zone Dardic languages (sometimes still classified separately): Dameli Domaaki Gawar-Bati Kalasha-mun Kashmiri Khowar Kohistani Ningalami Pashayi Palula Shina Shumashti Punjabi Saraiki Sindhi Khojki Kutchi Rajasthani Southern Zone (also known as Insular Indo-Aryan) Dhivehi Sinhala Western Zone Gujarati Konkani Marathi

Iranian Group: Gathic (Old Avestan) (extinct 2nd millennium BC - the only remaining record is the Gathas of Zarathushtra) Eastern Iranian Northeastern Avestan (extinct) Scythian (extinct) Sakan (extinct) Ossetian Sogdian (extinct) Yaghnobi Bactrian (extinct) Southeastern Pashto Pamiri Sarikoli Ormurri-Parachi Western Iranian Northwestern Dari language of Zoroastrians Balochi Gilaki Kurdish Mazanadarani (Tapurian) Parthian (extinct) Talysh Tati (Iran) Deilami Zazaki Laki Southwestern ("Persid") Old Persian (extinct) Middle Persian (extinct) New Persian (eastern & western dialects) Tajik Persian Luri / Bakhtiari Tati (Caucasus) Nuristani languages: Ashkunu (Ashkun) Kamkata-viri (Bashgali) Vasi-vari (Prasuni) Tregami Kalasha-ala (Waigali) See also Language family References ^ Numeral Types and Changes Worldwide, by Jadranka (EDT) Gvozdanovic, Language Arts & Disciplines,1999, Page 221 Bibliography Chakrabarti,Byomkes (1994). A comparative study of Santali and Bengali. Calcutta: K.P. Bagchi & Co. ISBN 8170741289 Premiumorange.com, abstract of the study of Minoan language and its link with Indo-Iranian (Hubert La Marle) Indo-Iranian Languages and Peoples, edited by Nicholas Sims-Williams. Published 2002 for the British Academy by Oxford University Press External links Look up Indo-Iranian Swadesh lists in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Swadesh lists of Indo-Iranian basic vocabulary words (from Wiktionary's Swadesh list appendix) v · d · e Indo-Iranian languages  Indic (Indo-Aryan)  Old · Middle Old Sanskrit (Vedic · Classical) · Mitanni superstrate Middle Abahatta · Apabhraṃśa · Dramatic Prakrits (Magadhi · Maharashtri · Shauraseni) · Elu · Gāndhārī · Jain · Paisaci · Pāli · Prakrit  Modern Central Hindi Awadhi · Bagheli · Bambaiya Hindi · Brij Bhasha · Bundeli · Chhattisgarhi · Fiji Hindi · Haryanvi · Kannauji · Sansiboli · Sadhukaddi (early form) Urdu Dakhni · Rekhta (early form) Others Dhanwar Rai Eastern Bengali Chittagonian · Sylheti Others Angika · Assamese · Bhojpuri · Bishnupriya Manipuri · Chakma · Halbi · Hajong · Kayort · Kharia Thar · Magahi · Maithili · Majhi · Mal Paharia · Nahari · Oriya · Rajbanshi · Rohingya · Sadri Northern Garhwali · Kumaoni · Nepali (Palpa) · Potwari North western Punjabi Saraiki · Majhi Others Aer · Derawali · Dogri · Hindko · Kangri · Kutchi · Sindhi Southern Dhivehi · Konkani · Mahal · Marathi · Sinhala Western Bhil Bhili · Gamit Rajasthani Bagri · Goaria · Gojri · Jaipuri · Malvi · Marwari · Mewari · Dhatki (sociolect) Others Domari · Gujarati · Kalto · Khandeshi · Parkari Koli · Romani · Saurashtra  Iranian  Old · Middle Old Western Old Persian · Median Eastern Avestan · Old Scythian Middle Western Middle Persian · Parthian Eastern Bactrian · Khwarezmian · Ossetic (Jassic) · Sakan (Sacian) · Scythian · Sogdian  Modern Western Persian Aimaq · Bukhori · Dari · Dehwari · Dzhidi · Hazaragi · Iranian Persian · Judeo-Shirazi · Khuzestani · Larestani · Tajik Kurdish Kermanshahi · Kurmanji · Soranî · Laki Others Old Azari · Balochi · Bashkardi · Caspian · Central Iran · Dari (Zoroastrian) · Fars · Gilaki · Gorani · Harzandi · Juhuri · Kumzari · Luri · Bakhtiari Lori · Mazandarani (Gorgani) · Ormuri · Sangsari · Parachi · Semnani · Taleshi · Tajik · Tat · Tati · Zazaki Eastern Pamir Ishkashimi · Munji · Roshani (Roshni) · Shughni · Sarikoli · Wakhi · Yazgulami · Yidgha Others Bartangi · Hindukush group · Ishkashmi · Karakoram group · Khufi · Munji · Oroshori · Ossetic · Pashto · Sanglechi · Vanji · Waziri · Yaghnobi · Zebaki Unclassified Tangshewi  Other Indo-Iranian languages Dardic Dameli · Domaaki · Gawar-Bati · Kalami · Kalash · Kashmiri · Khowar · Kohistani · Nangalami · Palula · Pashayi · Shina · Shumashti · Torwali · Ushoji Nuristani Kamkata-viri Kamviri · Kata-vari · Mumviri Others Askunu · Kalasha-ala · Kamkata-viri · Tregami language · Vasi-vari Italics indicate extinct languages. v · d · e Iran topics History Pre-Islamic

Prehistory  · Proto-Elamite civilization BCE 3200– BCE 2800  · Elamite dynasties BCE 2800– BCE 550  · Bactria-Margiana Complex BCE 2200– BCE 1700  · Kingdom of Mannai BCE 10th– BCE 7th cent.  · Median Empire BCE 728– BCE 550  · Achaemenid Empire BCE 550– BCE 330  · Seleucid Empire BCE 330– BCE 150  · Greco-Bactrian Kingdom BCE 250– BCE 125  · Parthian Empire BCE 248–CE 224  · Kushan Empire CE 30–CE 275  · Sassanid Empire CE 224–CE 651  · Hephthalite Empire CE 425–CE 557  · Kabul Shahi kingdom CE 565–CE 879 Islamic Patriarchal Caliphate 637–651  · Umayyad Caliphate 661–750  · Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258  · Tahirid dynasty 821–873  · Alavid dynasty 864–928  · Saffarid dynasty 861–1003  · Samanid dynasty 819–999  · Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043  · Buyid dynasty 934–1055  · Ghaznavid Empire 975–1187  · Ghori dynasty 1149–1212  · Seljuk Empire 1037–1194  · Khwarezmid dynasty 1077–1231  · Ilkhanate 1256–1335  ·  · Kartids dynasty 1231–1389  · Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393  · Chupanid dynasty 1337–1357  · Jalayerid dynasty 1339–1432  · Timurid Empire 1370–1506  · Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468  · Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508  · Safavid Empire 1501–1722 or 1736  · Hotaki dynasty 1722–1729  · Afsharid dynasty 1736–1750  · Zand Dynasty 1750–1794  · Durrani Empire 1794–1826  · Ottoman Empire 1299–1923  · Qajar Dynasty 1794–1925 Modern

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