Editing Veps language (section)

==Classification and history==

[[File:Veps language and VepKar corpus by Nina Zaitseva 2018.webm|thumb|thumbtime=106|Nina Zaitseva speaks about the Veps language and the [http://dictorpus.krc.karelia.ru/en VepKar corpus]. See subtitles in Veps language. [[Karelian Research Centre of RAS|KarRC RAS]], 2018.]]
[[File:Veps Flag Alternative.svg|thumb|Flag of the Vepsian people]]
Veps is the easternmost surviving member of the Finnic languages. Having developed in relative isolation, the language lacks several features found in its relatives, such as [[consonant gradation]] and the [[length (phonetics)|length]] contrast in consonants. Original vowel length has mostly been lost as well (with the exception of Northern Veps, which retains ''ii'' and ''uu''). At the same time, it retains a number of archaic features.

The closest relative of Veps is [[Ludic language|Ludic]], connecting Veps to the wider Finnic dialect continuum.

Veps also shows some characteristic innovations such as the vocalization of original syllable-final{{nbsp}}*l, and the expansion of the local case system.

[[Birch bark letter no. 292]] is the first known document in any [[Finnic languages|Finnic language]]; it is considered to be closest to modern [[Karelian language|Karelian]] or Veps.{{sfn|Bakró-Nagy|Laakso|Skribnik|2022|p=59}} The document was discovered near [[Novgorod]] in Russia and is dated to the early 13th century.{{sfn|Bakró-Nagy|Laakso|Skribnik|2022|p=59}}