Elamite

Elamite is an extinct language that was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Elam, in western Iran. It was the language of the Elamites, who inhabited the region from the early Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. Elamite is thought to be related to the Dravidian languages of India, and was written in a script known as Proto-Elamite. This script is thought to be the oldest form of writing in Iran, and was used from around 3200 BCE to 2500 BCE. Elamite was replaced by Persian as the language of Elam after the Achaemenid conquest of the region in the 6th century BCE. It is known from a small number of inscriptions and seals, as well as from a few loanwords in other languages. The Elamites were a major power in the ancient Near East, and their language was once widely spoken. However, it is now extinct, and little is known about it.