The Lechitic (or Lekhitic) languages are a language subgroup consisting of Polish and several other languages and dialects that were once spoken in the area that is now Poland and eastern Germany. It is one of the branches of the larger West Slavic subgroup; the other branches of this subgroup are the Czech–Slovak languages and the Sorbian languages.
| Lechitic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Poland |
| Linguistic classification | Indo-European
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | lech1241 |
Languages
The Lechitic languages are:
- Polish, used by approximately 38 million native speakers in Poland and several million elsewhere. Polish is considered to have several dialects, including Greater Polish, Lesser Polish, and Masovian, among others;
- Pomeranian, spoken by Slavic Pomeranians, of which the only remaining variety is:
- Kashubian, used today by over 110,000 people (2011 census) in the eastern part of Pomerania. Sometimes it is considered a dialect of Polish;
- Slovincian, extinct since the 20th century.
- Polabian, extinct since the mid-18th century, a West Lechitic language formerly spoken by Slavic peoples in areas around the Elbe river in what is now the northeast of Germany.
Features
Common West Slavic features that are also present in Lechitic:
- χ́ > š́ in front of ě2, i2
- sk, zɡ > š́č́, ž́ǯ́ in front of ě2, i2
- χ́ > š́ after i, ь, ę, ŕ̥
- epenthetic l only in initial position after soft labials
- -ě3 in the nominative/accusative plural and genitive singular (duš́ě3) and accusatieve plural of kon’ě3 (instead of -ę)
- replacement of the instrumental singular ending -omъ with -ъmъ
- Creation of the nominative masculine/neuter singular ending/active preterite participle ending -a (reka, nesa instead of reky, nesy
- õrt-, õlt- > rot-, lot- (rola, radło)
- (ti̯, di̯ >) t́̄, d́̄; kt́ > ć, ʒ́
- Extension of the pronoun tъ > tъnъ
- Replacement of č́ьto with co via the genitive singular č́ьso
- Use of the compound adjectival genitive and dative masculine/neuter singular endings -ego and -emu through analogy with jego, jemu
- Temporal adverbs ending in -dy instead of -da
- Creation of the conjunction of intent aby
- Tendency for establishing a non-mobile accent
- Tendency to raise long vowels
There was no Proto-Lechitic language, but rather Lechitic languages are a group of dialects with many shared features. The central and eastern territories came under the control of the Piasts, which created a political, cultural (especially religious) unit, which caused the Pomeranians and Polabians to have weaker contact, as the Pomeranians were absorbed into the state by Mieszko I and began integrating with the Eastern Lechites.
Common Lechitic features include:
- Labiovelarization of *telt (but compare Polabian mlåkə and Kashubian/Slovincian młȯko; also czółn)
- Replacement of *tort, tolt, tert, telt
- In accented and preaccented syllables (i.e. under rising intonation): tórᵒt > tᵒrot > trot
- In circumflex and post-accented syllables (i.e. under falling intonation) *tolt > tòlᵒt or ‘tolòt > talt
- Softening of consonants before front vowels
- Velarization of ŕ̥
- Development of sonants (voiced consonants) into complex groups of a vowel and a consonant r, l
- west and central ĺ̥ l̥ > oł > åu̯; Pĺ̥T (before a non-back hard consonant_ in the northeast > ‘el, in the south > ‘il; after TČKP and Pĺ̥T in the northeast ĺ̥ l̥ > oł
- ŕ̥T, r̥ > ar (and then in Polabian > or); ŕ̥T́ > ir (Polabian) > er >ar, or > (Polish) ir, iř > er, eř (which hardens before labials and ch)
- Hardening of consonants before r̥ < ŕ̥T
- *ěT > ‘a (Lechitic ablaut)
- *ęT > ǫ
- eT >’o
Sample text
The following is the Lord's Prayer in several of the Lechitic languages:
| Polish | Upper Silesian | Kashubian | Polabian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ojcze nasz, któryś jest w niebie, | Fatrze nŏsz, kery jeżeś we niebie, | Òjcze nasz, jaczi jes w niebie, | Nôße Wader, ta toy giß wa Nebisgáy, |
Etymology
The term Lechitic is applied both to the languages of this group and to Slavic peoples speaking these languages (known as Lechites). The term is related to the name of the legendary Polish forefather Lech and the name Lechia by which Poland was formerly sometimes known. For more details, see Lechites.
See also
- Lech, Čech, and Rus
- West Lechitic dialects
Notes
- Lekhitic languages, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 2008
- Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludności i Mieszkań 2011. Raport z wyników Archived 2012-12-21 at the Wayback Machine – Central Statistical Office of Poland
- Karol Dejna (1973). Dialekty polskie. pp. 59–60.
- Karol Dejna (1973). Dialekty polskie. pp. 64–65.
- Karol Dejna (1973). Dialekty polskie. p. 65.
- Karol Dejna (1973). Dialekty polskie. pp. 65–81.
- "Endangered Languages Project – Upper Silesian – Ôjcze nasz". www.endangeredlanguages.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- File:Jerozolëma, kòscel Pater noster, "Òjcze nasz" pò kaszëbskù.JPG
- Das polabische Vaterunser / "Our Father" in Polabian
The Lechitic or Lekhitic languages are a language subgroup consisting of Polish and several other languages and dialects that were once spoken in the area that is now Poland and eastern Germany It is one of the branches of the larger West Slavic subgroup the other branches of this subgroup are the Czech Slovak languages and the Sorbian languages LechiticGeographic distributionPolandLinguistic classificationIndo EuropeanBalto SlavicSlavicWest SlavicLechiticSubdivisionsEast Lechitic Polish and Silesian West Lechitic includes Marcho Magdeburgian Rani evolved into Polabian Pomeranian Middle Lechitic evolved into Kashubian and Slovincian Language codesISO 639 3 Glottologlech1241LanguagesThe Book of Henrykow containing what is claimed to be the first written Polish sentenceKashubian jamboree in Leba in 2005 banner showing the Kashubian name of Kartuzy County The Lechitic languages are Polish used by approximately 38 million native speakers in Poland and several million elsewhere Polish is considered to have several dialects including Greater Polish Lesser Polish and Masovian among others Silesian used today by over 530 000 people 2011 census in Polish Silesia and by some more in Czech Silesia The different varieties of Silesian are often considered to be dialects of Polish and Czech and are sometimes seen as forming a distinct language Pomeranian spoken by Slavic Pomeranians of which the only remaining variety is Kashubian used today by over 110 000 people 2011 census in the eastern part of Pomerania Sometimes it is considered a dialect of Polish Slovincian extinct since the 20th century Polabian extinct since the mid 18th century a West Lechitic language formerly spoken by Slavic peoples in areas around the Elbe river in what is now the northeast of Germany FeaturesCommon West Slavic features that are also present in Lechitic x gt s in front of e2 i2 sk zɡ gt s c z ǯ in front of e2 i2 x gt s after i e ŕ epenthetic l only in initial position after soft labials e3 in the nominative accusative plural and genitive singular dus e3 and accusatieve plural of kon e3 instead of e replacement of the instrumental singular ending om with m Creation of the nominative masculine neuter singular ending active preterite participle ending a reka nesa instead of reky nesy ort olt gt rot lot rola radlo ti di gt t d kt gt c ʒ Extension of the pronoun t gt tn Replacement of c to with co via the genitive singular c so Use of the compound adjectival genitive and dative masculine neuter singular endings ego and emu through analogy with jego jemu Temporal adverbs ending in dy instead of da Creation of the conjunction of intent aby Tendency for establishing a non mobile accent Tendency to raise long vowels There was no Proto Lechitic language but rather Lechitic languages are a group of dialects with many shared features The central and eastern territories came under the control of the Piasts which created a political cultural especially religious unit which caused the Pomeranians and Polabians to have weaker contact as the Pomeranians were absorbed into the state by Mieszko I and began integrating with the Eastern Lechites Common Lechitic features include Labiovelarization of telt but compare Polabian mlake and Kashubian Slovincian mlȯko also czoln Replacement of tort tolt tert telt In accented and preaccented syllables i e under rising intonation torᵒt gt tᵒrot gt trot In circumflex and post accented syllables i e under falling intonation tolt gt tolᵒt or tolot gt talt Softening of consonants before front vowels Velarization of ŕ Development of sonants voiced consonants into complex groups of a vowel and a consonant r l west and central ĺ l gt ol gt au Pĺ T before a non back hard consonant in the northeast gt el in the south gt il after TCKP and Pĺ T in the northeast ĺ l gt ol ŕ T r gt ar and then in Polabian gt or ŕ T gt ir Polabian gt er gt ar or gt Polish ir ir gt er er which hardens before labials and ch Hardening of consonants before r lt ŕ T eT gt a Lechitic ablaut eT gt ǫ eT gt oSample textThe following is the Lord s Prayer in several of the Lechitic languages Polish Upper Silesian Kashubian PolabianOjcze nasz ktorys jest w niebie swiec sie imie Twoje przyjdz krolestwo Twoje badz wola Twoja jako w niebie tak i na ziemi Chleba naszego powszedniego daj nam dzisiaj I odpusc nam nasze winy jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom I nie wodz nas na pokuszenie ale nas zbaw ode zlego Amen Fatrze nŏsz kery jezes we niebie bydz poswiyncōne miano Twoje Przindz krōlestwo Twoje bydz wola Twoja jako we niebie tak tyz na ziymi Chlyb nŏsz kŏzdodziynny dej nōm dzisiŏk A odpus nōm nasze winy jako a my odpuszczōmy naszym winnikōm A niy wōdz nŏs na pokuszyniy nale zbŏw nŏs ode zlygo Amyn Ojcze nasz jaczi jes w niebie niech sa swiacy Twoje miono niech przindze Twoje krolestwo niech mdze Twoja wolo jakno w niebie tak tez na zemi Chleba najego powszednego doj nom dzyso i odpusce nom naje wine jak i me odpuszcziwome naszim winowajcom A nie dopusce na nas pokuszenio ale nas zbawi ode zlego Amen Nosse Wader ta toy giss wa Nebisgay Sjungta woarda tugi Geima tia Rik komma tia Willia ſchinyot kok wa Nebisgay tok kak no Sime Nossi wissedanneisna Stgeiba doy nam dans un wittedoy nam nosse Ggrech kak moy wittedoyime nossem Gresmarim Ni bringoy nos ka Warſikonye tay loſoay nos wit wissokak Chaudak Amen EtymologyWikimedia Commons has media related to Lechitic languages The term Lechitic is applied both to the languages of this group and to Slavic peoples speaking these languages known as Lechites The term is related to the name of the legendary Polish forefather Lech and the name Lechia by which Poland was formerly sometimes known For more details see Lechites See alsoLech Cech and Rus West Lechitic dialectsNotesLekhitic languages Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved July 2008 Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludnosci i Mieszkan 2011 Raport z wynikow Archived 2012 12 21 at the Wayback Machine Central Statistical Office of Poland Karol Dejna 1973 Dialekty polskie pp 59 60 Karol Dejna 1973 Dialekty polskie pp 64 65 Karol Dejna 1973 Dialekty polskie p 65 Karol Dejna 1973 Dialekty polskie pp 65 81 Endangered Languages Project Upper Silesian Ojcze nasz www endangeredlanguages com Retrieved 20 April 2021 File Jerozolema koscel Pater noster Ojcze nasz po kaszebsku JPG Das polabische Vaterunser Our Father in Polabian
