The Etruscan language is an ancient language spoken by the Etruscan civilization, which thrived in what is now central Italy from the 8th to the 3rd century BCE. It is considered a language isolate, meaning it has no known relatives among other languages. The Etruscan script, derived from the Greek alphabet, was used to write inscriptions on tombs, pottery, and other artifacts. Despite numerous inscriptions, the Etruscan language remains largely undeciphered, with only a few hundred words understood. Scholars have made attempts to translate it, but the lack of bilingual texts, like those found for Egyptian hieroglyphs or Mayan glyphs, complicates these efforts.