The Hunnic language was spoken by the Huns, a heterogenous, multi-ethnic tribal confederation during the 4th and 5th centuries, who at their peak occupied a Hunnic Empire stretching approximately from the Caspian Sea in the east to modern-day Germany in the west.
A contemporary reports that the Hunnic Empire had a "Hunnic language", or "Hunnish", which was spoken alongside Gothic and the languages of other tribes subjugated by the Huns A variety of languages were spoken within the Hun pax. Roman sources, e.g. Priscus, recorded that Latin, Gothic, "Hun" and other local 'Scythian" languages were spoken. Based on etymological interpretation of the words strava and medos, and subsequent historical appearance of Slavic languages in this region, these other languages have been taken to include a form of proto-Slavic.
The literary records for this language are sparse, consisting of a few names and three non-Turkic words, thus scholars currently conclude that the Hunnic language cannot presently be classified, and there is no firm scholarly consensus on its affinities.
Read more about Hunnic Language: Surviving Material
Famous quotes containing the word language:
“When a language creates—as it does—a community within the present, it does so only by courtesy of a community between the present and the past.”
—Christopher Ricks (b. 1933)