Alania
/əˈleɪniə/noun
A historical name for the medieval kingdom and region associated with the Alans, centered in the northern Caucasus.
Did you know?Alania became a Christian kingdom in the Middle Ages, but its people preserved distinctive Iranian language and traditions that survive most clearly among the modern Ossetians.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Iranian (proposed)
Proto-Iranian
*aryāna-
“A proposed connection to an Iranian term meaning “of the Aryans” or “belonging to the Aryan people”; the derivation of Alan remains debated.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek
Ἀλανοί (Alanoi)
“The Alans, an Iranian-speaking nomadic people recorded by Greek and Roman writers.”
2nd–4th Century CE
Latin
Alani
“The Alans, a confederation active across the Pontic-Caspian steppe and later in Europe.”
10th–13th Century
Greek
Ἀλανία (Alania)
“The land or kingdom of the Alans, especially in the northern Caucasus.”
13th–15th Century
Medieval Latin
Alania
“A Caucasian region and Christian kingdom associated with the Alan people.”
Modern English
English
Alania
“A historical name for the Alan kingdom and for the broader region linked to medieval Alan culture.”