Alans
/ˈælənz/noun
The Alans were an ancient Iranian-speaking nomadic people who migrated across Europe and Asia during late antiquity.
Did you know?Some Alans entered Western Europe alongside the Vandals, while others remained in the Caucasus and contributed to the ancestry of the modern Ossetians.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Roman era
Iranian
*Alān-
“Reconstructed ancestral form of the ethnic name; its deeper origin remains debated, with a possible connection to an Iranian term related to “Aryan.””
1st Century CE
Greek
Alanoi
“The name used by Greek writers for the nomadic Alans north of the Caucasus.”
2nd Century CE
Latin
Alani
“Roman form of the name for the Iranian-speaking Alan people.”
5th Century CE
Latin
Alani
“The Alans appear in accounts of migrations and warfare across Gaul, Iberia, and North Africa.”
Middle English
English
Alan
“The singular ethnic name entered English historical usage.”
Modern English
English
Alans
“The plural name for this ancient people, also used in historical and archaeological writing.”