MultiTree:

Name: Etruscan Type: Language Alternate Name: Etruskisch Code: ett Code Standard: ISO 639-3 Documentation: LINGUIST List Families: Isolates & Small Families Parent Subgroup: Tyrrhenian; Etruscan; Tyrsenian (tyrr) Brief Description: An ancient language of Central and Northern Italy. In their time, the Etruscans were the most culturally dominant people in Italy, and it is through their adoption of the Greek alphabet that most of the people of early Italy acquired a script. There are many thousands of Etruscan inscriptions, though most are fairly short and repetitive. Since the inscriptions span such a long period, it is possible to see the influence of language change on the language, in particular the ever-increasing influence of vowel syncope. The majority of Etruscan inscriptions are found in Tuscany, in which their main centers of power were sited, but others are found as far afield as Corsica and Northern Africa. The language seems to be unrelated to any other, with the exception of Lemnian, found in a few texts on the island of Lemnos in the Aegean. This lends some credence to a tradition that the Etruscans originated in the east. 7th century BC - 100 AD.

Endangerment Status

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Linguist List Status: Extinct