Curonian language

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Distribution of the Baltic tribes, circa 1200 CE (boundaries are approximate)

The Curonian language (Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx), or Old Curonian, was a Baltic language spoken by the Curonians, a Baltic tribe who inhabited Courland (now western Latvia<ref name="Dini">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="EEO">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> and northwestern Lithuania<ref>"Kuršiai" [Curonians] (in Lithuanian). Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 8 November 2023.</ref>).

ClassificationEdit

Curonian was an Indo-European language of the Baltic branch, as proven by Jānis Endzelīns.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Curonian's relation to other Baltic languages is unclear:<ref name="EEO"/>

Some scholars consider it to have been an East Baltic language, intermediate between Lithuanian and Latvian.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>
Others, like Vytautas Mažiulis, classify it as a West Baltic language that became closer to the Eastern branch due to extensive contact.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Linguist Eduard Vääri argues that it is possible that Curonians were Baltic Finns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

Old Curonian disappeared in the course of the 16th century.<ref name=EEO/>

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Baltic states saw a revival of scientific and cultural interest in extinct Baltic languages and tribes, including Yotvingian, Curonian, and Old Prussian.Template:Citation needed

LexiconEdit

Samogitian words such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (mosquito), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (duck), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (swallow), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (skylark), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (hare), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (stone), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (marsh), and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (winter wheat) are considered to be of Curonian origin.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Further words show similarities with Old Prussian: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and Old Prussian: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} compared to Template:Langx, Template:Langx, all meaning wheel.Template:R

CorpusEdit

Evidence from other languagesEdit

Curonian left substrata in western dialects of the Latvian and Lithuanian, namely the Samogitian dialect. No written documents in this language are known, but some ancient Lithuanian texts from western regions show some Curonian influence. According to Lithuanian linguist Zigmas Zinkevičius, long and intense Curonian–Lithuanian bilingualism existed.

OnomasticsEdit

There are only few onomastics in the region considered to have been inhabited by the Curonians.<ref name="Dini">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

There are attested names of Curonian noblemen such as: Template:Ill, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

Potential text in CuronianEdit

Additionally, the Pater Noster reported by Simon Grunau is speculated to be in Curonian.Template:R<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Lord's Prayer after Simon Grunau {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}

ReferencesEdit

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LiteratureEdit

Ambrassat, August "Die Provinz Ostpreußen", Frankfurt/ Main 1912
Endzelin, J.: Über die Nationalität und Sprache der Kuren, in Finnisch-Ungarische Forschungen, XII, 1912
Gaerte, Wilhelm "Urgeschichte Ostpreussens", Königsberg 1929
Gimbutas, Marija "Die Balten", München-Berlin 1983
Kurschat, Heinrich A.: Das Buch vom Memelland, Siebert Oldenburg 1968
Kwauka, Paul, Pietsch, Richard: Kurisches Wörterbuch, Verlag Ulrich Camen Berlin, 1977, Template:ISBN
Kwauka, Paul: Namen des Memellandes/ Unsere „fremdartigen“ Familiennamen, Archiv AdM, Oldenburg
Lepa, Gerhard (Hrsg) "Die Schalauer", Tolkemita-Texte Dieburg 1997
Mortensen, Hans und Gertrud "Die Besiedlung des nordöstlichen Ostpreußens bis zum Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts", Leipzig 1938
Mortensen, Hans und Gertrud: Kants väterliche Ahnen und ihre Umwelt, Rede von 1952 in Jahrbuch der Albertus-Universität zu Königsberg / Pr., Holzner- Verlag Kitzingen/ Main 1953 Bd. 3
Peteraitis, Vilius: Mažoji Lietuva ir Tvanksta (Lithuania Minor and Tvanksta) Vilnius 1992
Pietsch, Richard (künstlerischer Entwurf und Text): Bildkarte rund um das Kurische Haff, Heimat-Buchdienst Georg Banszerus, Höxter, Herstellung: Neue Stalling, Oldenburg
Pietsch, Richard: Deutsch-Kurisches Wörterbuch, Verlag Nordostdeutsches Kulturwerk Lüneburg 1991, Template:ISBN
Pietsch, Richard: Fischerleben auf der Kurischen Nehrung dargestellt in kurischer und deutscher Sprache, Verlag Ulrich Camen Berlin 1982
Schmid, Wolfgang P. (Hrg): Nehrungskurisch, Sprachhistorische und instrumentalphonetische Studien zu einem aussterbenden Dialekt, Stuttgart 1989
Schmid, Wolfgang P.: Das Nehrungskurische, ein sprachhistorischer Überblick
Tolksdorf, Ulrich "Fischerei und Fischerkultur in Ostpreußen", Heide/ Holstein 1991
Žadeikiene, Daiva, Krajinskas, Albertas: Kurenkahnwimpel, Template:ISBN

External linksEdit

Template:Baltic languages Template:Authority control