Lechitic languages

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Distribution of Slavic languages
Distribution of Slavic languages

The Lechitic languages include three languages spoken in Central Europe, mainly 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:

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, , gi as dz [ʒ], dze [ʒe], dzy [ʒj].
  • Lack of gh transition.
  • Preservation of nasal vowels.
  • the so-called fourth palatalization of velars in Polish and Kashubian

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.

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