Alanic
/əˈlæ.nɪk/noun
Relating to the Alans, an ancient Iranian-speaking people, or to their language.
Did you know?The Alans were an Iranian-speaking nomadic people whose descendants are generally associated with the Ossetians of the Caucasus, while the deeper origin of their ethnonym remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek/Latin
Alanoi / Alani
“Ancient Greek and Roman forms naming the Alans, a nomadic people of the Eurasian steppe.”
2nd–4th Centuries CE
Greek/Latin
Alanoi / Alani
“The name appears in classical geographical and historical writing for an Iranian-speaking confederation active north of the Caucasus.”
Early Middle Ages
Latin
Alani
“The ethnonym continued in medieval Latin sources after Alan groups moved toward the Caucasus and western Europe.”
Medieval Period
Latin/Old French
Alanicus / alanique
“Forms meaning ‘of or relating to the Alans’ developed in scholarly and historical usage.”
Modern English
English
Alanic
“An adjective relating to the Alans or to the Alanic language.”