LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.05.17 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Ruth & Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.05.16 (02) [E]

Dear Ron & Heiko,

    To what extent does the area discussed in this string fall in old
Prussian-speaking zone? That is a Turkic language, isn't it?

> Can You give us more information?

Yrs Sincerely

Mark

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Names

Hi again, Mark!

>     To what extent does the area discussed in this string fall in old
> Prussian-speaking zone?

Old Prussian (now extinct) used to be spoken in Eastern Prussia (now
Kaliningrad, Russia), in parts of Poland, Lithuania and possibly parts of
Western Prussia (now Northern Poland, around the Vistula Delta).  It started
fading with the 13th century's Germanic and Polish encroachment, and it was
recorded on its deathbed in the 14th century.  Its closest relatives
Galindan and Sudovian (a.k.a. Jatvingian or Yotvingian) are also extinct.
Its surviving relatives are Lithuanian and Latvian.  It should really be
called "Prussian," but this name is now associated with the German state,
which had usurped it.

Some believe the Prussians to be the same as Tacitus' _aesti_, probably the
name on which today's Estonians (_eest-_) base their name, although they
speak a Finnic, thus Uralic, thus non-Indo-European, language nowadays
(despite the fact that Estonia is considered a "Baltic" country).

> That is a Turkic language, isn't it?

Nope.  Prussian is a Baltic language, thus belongs to the Indo-European
family, while Turkic is a branch of the Altaic family (whose other branches
are Mongolic and Tungusic, with Japanese and Korean being pre-Altaic
branches).  Prussian tends to be lumped together with Slav(on)ic on one
branch (Balto-Slavonic), both originating in the Balkans.  Similarities
between Baltic (especially Lithuanian) and Grecian (Greek) language
varieties are fairly obvious, including tonality (which is lost in Modern
Greek).  Balto-Slavonic furthermore tends to be grouped with Germanic on a
Balto-Slavo-Germanic branch.

I hope this helped.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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