The Ossetians (oss. - ирæттæ, irættæ) are an ethnic group from Ossetia, a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains in Europe. Its territory currently straddles the political divide between North Ossetia-Alania in Russia, and South Ossetia in Georgia. They speak Ossetic, an Iranian language. This article is in need of improvement. ... The Russian Orthodox Church (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... This article is about the group of peoples who speak Iranian languages. ... The main church in the center of Jászberény Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county within Hungary The Jassic people or Jász people are an ethnic group of Hungarians that mostly live in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county of Hungary. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... Map of Ossetia Ossetia is a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains, inhabited by the Ossetians, an Iranian people who speak the Ossetic language, (an Iranian Language). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... Capital Vladikavkaz Area - total - % water Ranked 84th - 8,000 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 68th - est. ... National anthem Unknown Official languages Ossetian, with Russian having and widespread use by government and other institutions Political status De facto independent Capital Tskhinvali Capitals coordinates 42°14′N 43°58′E President Eduard Djabeevich Kokoity Prime Minister Yury Morozov Independence  â€“ Declared  â€“ Recognition From Georgia  1991-11-28  none... This article is in need of improvement. ... The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family with an estimated 150-200 million native speakers today. ...

Etymology

The Russian geographic name "Ossetia" and the corresponding ethnic designation "Ossetians" comes from a Georgian root. The Russians originally called the Ossetians Jas, but in the late 14th century adopted the Georgian name of the Ossetians and their nation. In Georgian language, Alania and the Alans are known as "Oseti" and "Osebi" respectively. From the Russian language the names Ossetia and Ossetians came to other languages. The Ossetians themselves refer to their nation as irættæ. ALania can refer to: Yhe feudal state of Alans. ... The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ... Map of Ossetia Ossetia is a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains, inhabited by the Ossetians, an Iranian people who speak the Ossetic language, (an Iranian Language). ...

History

The Ossetians descend from Iranian tribes of Eurasia, namely Alans, Sarmatians and Scythians. They became Christians during the early Middle Ages under Georgian and Byzantine influence. In the 8th century a consolidated Alan kingdom, referred to in sources of the period as Alania, emerged in the northern Caucasus Mountains, roughly in the location of modern Circassia and North Ossetia-Alania. At its height Alania was a regional power, with a strong military and vast wealth from the Silk Road. Forced out of their medieval homeland (south of the River Don in present-day Russia) during Mongol rule, they migrated towards and over the Caucasus mountains, where they formed three distinct territorial entities: Eurasia African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is a landmass covering about 54,000,000 km² compared with the Americas (approximately 42,000,000 km²), Africa (approximately 30,000,000 km²), Antarctica (approximately 13,000,000 km²) and Oceania (9,000,000 km²). Eurasia is composed of the traditional continents... The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ... Sarmatia and Scythia in 100 BC, also shown is the extent of the Parthian Empire. ... Scythian warriors, drawn after figures on an electrum cup from the KulOba kurgan burial near Kerch. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... ALania can refer to: Yhe feudal state of Alans. ... Circassia, also known as Cherkessia in Russian, is a region in Caucasia. ... Capital Vladikavkaz Area - total - % water Ranked 84th - 8,000 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 68th - est. ... The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia mainly connecting Changan (todays Xian) in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. ... The Don (Дон) is one of the major rivers of Russia. ... Mongols (Mongolian: Монгол Mongol, Turkish: Moğollar) are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China or more specifically on the Central Asian plateau north of the Gobi desert and south of Siberia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ...

• Digor in the west came under the influence of the neighboring Kabard people, who introduced Islam. The lands once known as Digor are now part of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic.
• Tualläg in the south, in the Georgian central region of Shida Kartli. In 1924 part became known as South Ossetia
• Iron in the north became what is now North Ossetia/Alania, under Russian rule from 1767.

The Ossetians of Georgia suffered under Soviet rule in the 20th century and in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the early 1990s. Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Capital Nalchik Area - total - % water Ranked 83rd - 12,500 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 60th - est. ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) Translation: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital Moscow Language(s) Russian (the de facto official language), 14 other official languages Government Socialist republic Leaders  - 1922-1924 Vladimir Lenin  - 1924-1953 Joseph Stalin... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Language

Main article: Ossetic language

The Ossetic language is divided into two main dialect groups, Kudarian (os. - Къудайраг) of South Ossetia; Ironian (os. - Ирон) and Digorian (os. - Дыгурон) of North Ossetia. There are also some other dialects, like Tualian, Alagirian, Ksanian, etc. Ironian dialect is the most widely spoken. This article is in need of improvement. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... Iron is a dialect of the Ossetic language. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... Digorian is a dialect of the Ossetian language. ... This article is in need of improvement. ...

Ossetic is classified as Northeastern Iranian, the only other surviving member of the subgroup being Yaghnobi, spoken more than 2,000 km to the east in Tajikistan. Both are remnants of the Scytho-Sarmatian dialect group which was once spoken across Central Asia. The Eastern Iranian languages are a subgroup of the Iranian languages emerging in Middle Iranian times (from ca. ... The Yaghnobi language [1] is a living Northeastern Iranian language (the only other living member being the Ossetic), and is spoken in high valley of the Yaghnob River in the Zarafshan area of Tajikistan by Yaghnobi people. ... Scythian and Sarmatian are the names of the East Iranian dialects spoken by the Scythian/Sarmatian tribes of the nomadic cattlebreeders in Southern Russia between 8th century BC and 5th century AD. Sometimes, the Scythian and Sarmatian languages are combined into one name: Scytho-Sarmatian languages. ...

Religion

Today the majority of Ossetians, from both North and South Ossetia, follow Eastern Orthodoxy. As the time went by, Digor in the west came under Kabard and Islamic influence. It was through the Kabardians (an East Circassian tribe) that Islam was introduced into the region in the 17th century. Today, a large minority profess Islam (mostly Sunni, but Sufi orders are widespread). Tuallag in the southernmost region became part of what is now Georgia, and Iron, the northernmost group, came under Russian rule after 1767, which strengthened Orthodox Christianity considerably. Most of the Ossetes today are Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, preserving the traditions of the early church unchanged, accepting the canonicity of the first seven ecumenical councils held between the 4th and the... Digor is a traditional sport in Bhutan, resembling the sport of shot put. ... Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... Circassian language is used in a number of ways: as a synonym for the Adyghe language; as a synonym for the Kabardian language; as a term for a distinct language that includes both Adyghe and Kabardian. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, preserving the traditions of the early church unchanged, accepting the canonicity of the first seven ecumenical councils held between the 4th and the... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, preserving the traditions of the early church unchanged, accepting the canonicity of the first seven ecumenical councils held between the 4th and the...

Location

Most Ossetians today live along the central part of the Greater Caucasus Range in the two Ossetias, with a significant number living in central Georgia. A large Ossetian diaspora lives in Turkey, and Ossetians have also settled in Russia, France, Sweden, Syria, the USA, Canada and other countries all around the world.

Genetics

Nasidze et al. (2004) found that while North Ossetians (Digorians) share similarities in terms of mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA, and the Ardonian subgroup of Digorian in particular are close to Iranians of Isfahan, South Ossetians (Ironians) are closer to Slavic populations in terms of mitochondrial DNA, and closer to Caucasian groups such as the Nakh in frequncy terms of Y-chromosomal DNA. In North Ossetians, Y-chromosomal DNA is dominated by G*, while South Ossetians have high frequencies of haplogroups F* and E*. Both groups have marginal R1a frequency in contrast with linguistic association Ossetians with Scythian ancenstry. The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and function of living organisms. ... Isfahan or Esfahān can refer to either a city or a province in Iran (Persia): Isfahan (city) Isfahan (province) Isfahan (rugs) Isfahan is the name of a song by the Jazzist Duke Ellington Ispahan a kind of rose and an older pronunciation of the citys name. ... The North Central Caucasian languages (also Nakh languages or Vaynakh languages) are a family of languages spoken mostly in Russia (Chechnya and Ingushetia) and Georgia. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup G (M201) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup F (defining mutations M89, P14, and M213) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup E (M96) is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup R1a1 (M17) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup, that is spread across Eurasia. ...

 E* C* K* P1 P* R1* R1a1 F* G* J2* I* Groups N YAP M9 M142 M45 M173 M17 M89 M201 M172 M170 HD Digora 31 0 0 0 0 0.06 0 0 0.03 0.74 0.03 0.13 0.440 Nasidze et al., (2004) Ardon 28 0 0 0.07 0 0.04 0 0.04 0.04 0.21 0.29 0.32 0.788 Nasidze et al., (2004) Zil'ga 23 0 0 0.130 0 0 0 0 0.043 0.565 0.261 0 0.620 Nasidze et al., (2006) Zamankul 23 0 0 0.217 0 0 0 0 0.087 0.609 0.087 0 0.590 Nasidze et al., (2006) Alagir 24 0 0 0.083 0.083 0 0.042 0 0 0.750 0.042 0 0.440 Nasidze et al., (2006) S. Os. 17 0.18 0 0 0 0 0.12 0.06 0.41 -? 0.24 0 0.772 Wells et al., (2001) N Σ 146 

In human genetics, Haplogroup E (M96) is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup C (RPS4Y=M130, M216) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup K (M9) is a Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup P (M45) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup F (defining mutations M89, P14, and M213) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup G (M201) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... In human genetics, Haplogroup I (M170) is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. ... The term counter can have the following meanings: An electronic device - see counter. ... The Omega Nebula (also known as the Swan Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, the Lobster Nebula, Diffuse Nebula M17, Messier Object 17, Messier 17, M17, or NGC 6618) is an emission nebula in the Sagittarius constellation. ... Addition is one of the basic operations of arithmetic. ...

References

• Nasidze et al., Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Variation in the Caucasus, Annals of Human Genetics, Volume 68 Page 205 - May 2004
• Nasidze et al., Genetic Evidence Concerning the Origins of South and North Ossetians (2004) [4]

See also

• Jassic people
• Alans
• Sarmatians
• Iranian peoples

The main church in the center of Jászberény Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county within Hungary The Jassic people or Jász people are an ethnic group of Hungarians that mostly live in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county of Hungary. ... The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ... Sarmatia and Scythia in 100 BC, also shown is the extent of the Parthian Empire. ... This article is about the group of peoples who speak Iranian languages. ...

External links

• Ossetians.com: a site about outstanding and famous Ossetians
• A great site for further reading and knowledge of the thousand year old history of the Ossetians