Lechitic languages
The Lechitic '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.
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;
- * Silesian, used today by over 530,000 people 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 in the eastern part of Pomerania. Sometimes it is considered a dialect of Polish;
- * Slovincian, extinct since the 20th century. Sometimes considered a dialect of Kashubian.
- * Western Pomeranian, a transitional dialect group with Polabian, extinct probably 17th century.
- Polabian, extinct since the mid-18th century, a West Lechitic language formerly spoken by Slavic peoples in areas between the Oder and Elbe rivers and further West in what is now the northeast of Germany.
Features
- 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 and accusatieve plural of kon'ě3
- replacement of the instrumental singular ending -omъ with -ъmъ
- Creation of the nominative masculine/neuter singular ending/active preterite participle ending -a
- 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
Common Lechitic features include:
- Labiovelarization of *telt
- Replacement of *tort, tolt, tert, telt
- # In accented and preaccented syllables : tórᵒt > tᵒrot > trot
- # In circumflex and post-accented syllables *tolt > tòlᵒt or 'tolòt > talt
- Softening of consonants before front vowels
- Velarization of ŕ̥
- Development of sonants into complex groups of a vowel and a consonant r, l
- # west and central ĺ̥ l̥ > oł > åu̯; Pĺ̥T ; ŕ̥T́ > ir > er >ar, or > ir, iř > er, eř
- Hardening of consonants before r̥ < ŕ̥T
- * ěT > 'a
- * ęT > ǫ
- eT >'o
Sample text
| Polish | Upper Silesian | Kashubian | Polabian |
święć się imię Twoje, przyjdź królestwo Twoje, bądź wola Twoja jako w niebie tak i na ziemi. Chleba naszego powszedniego daj nam dzisiaj. I odpuść nam nasze winy, jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom. I nie wódź nas na pokuszenie, ale nas zbaw ode złego. Amen. | bydź poświyncōne miano Twoje. Przińdź krōlestwo Twoje, bydź wola Twoja, jako we niebie, tak tyż na ziymi. Chlyb nŏsz kŏżdodziynny dej nōm dzisiŏk. A ôdpuś nōm nasze winy, jako a my ôdpuszczōmy naszym winnikōm. A niy wōdź nŏs na pokuszyniy, nale zbŏw nŏs ôde złygo. Amyn. | niech sã swiãcy Twòje miono, niech przińdze Twòje królestwò, niech mdze Twòja wòlô jakno w niebie tak téż na zemi. Chleba najégò pòwszednégò dôj nóm dzysô i òdpùscë nóm naje winë, jak i më òdpùszcziwómë naszim winowajcóm. A nie dopùscë na nas pòkùszeniô, ale nas zbawi òde złégò. Amen. | Sjungta woarda tügí Geima, tia Rîk komma, tia Willia ſchinyôt, kok wa Nebisgáy, tôk kak no Sime, Nôßi wißedanneisna Stgeiba doy nâm dâns, un wittedoy nâm nôße Ggrêch, kak moy wittedoyime nôßem Grêsmarim, Ni bringoy nôs ka Warſikónye, tay löſoáy nôs wit wißókak Chaudak. Amen. |