The Dacian language, spoken by the ancient Dacians, presents a fascinating challenge for linguists due to the scarcity of written records. Researchers primarily rely on indirect evidence to understand this lost language.
Dacian is generally believed to have belonged to the Thracian language family, a group of Indo-European languages. The Thracian languages, including Dacian, are classified as satem-type, sharing characteristics with Slavic, Baltic, and Indo-Iranian languages. Approximately 250 Dacian words have been reconstructed from various sources, though their exact pronunciation and grammatical structure remain uncertain.
The relationship between Dacian and Thracian is debated, with some considering Dacian a dialect and others a distinct, but related, language. The absence of a dedicated writing system poses a significant hurdle. However, the Romanian language preserves around 160 words of Dacian origin, offering a tangible link to this ancient tongue.