Talk:Curonian language

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To-do list for Curonian language: edit · history · watch · refresh
  • Separate Old Curonian language and New Curonian language (Kursenieku valoda) in different pages, at least the second one
  • Add Curonian language examples
  • Reconstruct Curonian Grammar

See also: Talk:Courlandians

Contents

[edit] Survived?

An addition of an anon removed:

From the 15000 speakers in 1935 only 2500 survived the Second World War. Most of them died during the flight from the Red Army in 1945. In Germany only 8 persons can speak the language, in Baltic areas nobody. A dictionary Curonian - German is in progress.

Very dubious. Reference required. mikka (t) 23:25, 3 August 2005 (UTC)

At the same time, if one searches Google for "Kurisch + Schprache", or "Kurische Sprache" one may find a certain Richard Pietsch, a former native of Curonian Spit, who propagates the info that he is the last bearer of the Kuronian language. It is qite possible that he speaks about a Western Lithuanian dialect with heavy preserved layer of Kuronian.

In 1991 he published Deutsch-Kurisches Wörterbuch, ISBN 3922296602 .

Also:

Kurisches Wörterbuch. Reihe: Nordost-Archiv Paul Kwauka, Richard Pietsch

Verlag Ulrich Camen, Berlin Bd / Kap 13 ISBN 3-921515-03-3 Jahr 1977

I've seen some other references, all eventually tracking back to Pietsch.

Whatever this is, an expert opinion is required. And definitely this deserves a reference in this article in a reasonable form.

Lithuanian wikipedia article lt:Baltų kalbos about baltic languages has a more detailed text about "Kuršių kalba", which confirms its extinction in 17th century, that's what all linguistic books I've seen say. mikka (t) 00:40, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

here is a small note on this site: http://www.istorija.net/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1092&mid=11390.
and here: http://www.nerija.lt/en/zmogus/paveldo.php
– ishwar  (speak) 01:05, 2005 August 4 (UTC)

Yes, actually I have found more. I will try to write something. mikka (t) 01:55, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Done. mikka (t) 02:30, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Two articles

I think it would be better to split the article in two: Old Curonian language and Spit Curonian. For the latter the German article is good source. Koryakov Yuri 09:26, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "New Curonian"

The "New Curonian" section primarily discusses the language of the Kursenieki, but seems to contain information about a Latvian dialect as well. Thus, I am moving that confusing information here until it can be clarified further.

  • Curonian language is virtually the same Latvian language that is spoken around Nica, Gramzda, Rucava, Priekule in Latvia. Curonians not being Latvians have their own language which is called the Curonian language (Kursenieku valoda). Both the Curonian language and southwestern Latvian dialects have preserved some "curonisms". In the process of various migrations of the 14th-17th centuries, Curonians (already speaking in Latvian) settled in the Curonian Spit in East Prussia.

Please update when possible. Olessi 23:40, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Is this really an endangered language

Or is it an extinct language being researched? This would only affect its presence in category "endangered language." Robert Greer (talk) 02:00, 28 December 2007 (UTC)