Iranic

Iranic is a term used in linguistics and ethnology to refer to the Iranic languages and the peoples who speak them. It denotes the Iranic branch of the Indo-Iranian language family and is often employed to describe the broader ethnolinguistic group associated with the Iranian plateau and adjacent regions. In scholarly writing, Iranic is distinguished from the modern political usage of Iran, emphasizing linguistic and historical relationships rather than a single nationality.

Linguistically, Iranic forms a branch of the Indo-Iranian division within the Indo-European language family. It is commonly divided into Western Iranic and Eastern Iranic subgroups. Western Iranic includes languages such as Persian (Farsi, Dari, Tajik as standard varieties), Kurdish, Balochi, Luri, Gilaki, and Mazandarani. Eastern Iranic includes Pashto, Ossetian, Yaghnobi, and many Pamir languages, among others. The Iranic languages are spoken across Iran, Afghanistan, parts of the Caucasus, Central Asia, and in diaspora communities worldwide.

Historically, Iranic-speaking peoples have formed key cultural and political groups on the Iranian plateau, including ancient Medes and Persians, and continuing today with numerous communities throughout Iran, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and South Asia. The term Iranic, as used in linguistics, highlights shared linguistic heritage and historical linkages among these languages and peoples, while contemporary national identities may be associated with individual Iranic-speaking communities.