PARNIAN

The language of the Parni. 'Parnian' is used to distinguish the linguistically Eastern Iranian speech of the Parni before they settled and were integrated into the population of Parthia. After becoming the dominant force in the region, the Parni established the Parthian empire which employed and used Parthian for official purposes. The Parthian language was a Western Iranian language of the Middle Iranian linguistic phase as opposed to Parnian.