Lechitic languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lechitic languages include three languages spoken in Central Europe, principally in Poland, and historically also in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, and Vorpommern, in the north-eastern region of modern Germany. This language group is a branch of the larger West Slavic language family. The Lechitic group includes:

• Polish - (ISO 639-1 code: pl, ISO 639-2 code: pol)
• Lesser Poland
  • Vistulans
  • Lendians
  • Silesian (Upper Silesian)
• Pomeranian
  • Kashubian - (ISO 639-2 code: csb)
  • Slovincian - extinct
• Polabian - extinct - (SIL Code: pox)

The characteristics of Lechitic languages are:

• Mutation of Proto-Slavic ě, e, ę before alveolars into a, o, ą, ǫ.
• Continuation of Proto-Slavic dj, gě, gi as dz [ʒ], dze [ʒe], dzy [ʒy].
• Lack of g → h transition.
• Preservation of nasal vowels.

The term Lechitic derives from the old alternative name *lěchy (see Lechia) for the Lechitic peoples (in contrast to *čěchy for the Czechs).

Slavic people using those languages were known as Lechites.

[edit] See also

• Lechia

[edit] External link

• Lechitic language tree