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The Lechitic languages include three languages spoken in Central Europe
Central Europe

Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern Europe and Western Europe Europe. In addition, Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe....
, mainly in Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
, and historically also in Brandenburg
Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany....
, Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg....
, and Vorpommern, in the north-eastern region of modern Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. This language group is a branch of the larger West Slavic
West Slavic languages

The West Slavic languages is a subdivision of the Slavic languages that includes Czech language, Polish language, Slovak language, and Sorbian language....
 language family. The Lechitic group includes:



The characteristics of Lechitic languages are:



The term Lechitic derives from the old alternative name *lechy (see Lechia
Lechia

Lechia is the historical and/or alternative name of Poland, stemming from the word Lech . It is still present in several European languages and some languages of Central Asia and the Middle East:...
) for the Lechitic peoples (in contrast to *cechy for the Czechs
Czech people

Czechs are a West Slavs people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries....
).

Slavic people using those languages were known as Lechites
Lechites

Lechites or Lekhites - name for some tribes of West Slavs whose shared quality was the usage of the Lechitic languages.*Lechitic languages group...
.








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The Lechitic languages include three languages spoken in Central Europe
Central Europe

Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern Europe and Western Europe Europe. In addition, Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe....
, mainly in Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
, and historically also in Brandenburg
Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany....
, Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg....
, and Vorpommern, in the north-eastern region of modern Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. This language group is a branch of the larger West Slavic
West Slavic languages

The West Slavic languages is a subdivision of the Slavic languages that includes Czech language, Polish language, Slovak language, and Sorbian language....
 language family. The Lechitic group includes:

  • Polish
    Polish language

    Polish , an official language of Poland, has the largest number of speakers of any West Slavic languages. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner through most of Poland, and it has a regular orthography....
     - (ISO 639-1 code: pl, ISO 639-2 code: pol)
    • Lesser Poland
      Lesser Poland

      Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland. It forms the southeastern corner of the country. It should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers just a part of the historical region of Lesser Poland...
      • Vistulans
        Vistulans

        Vistulans were a Lechitic languages tribe inhabiting, since at least the seventh century, lands known today as Lesser Poland.In the 9th century, Vistulans created a tribal state, with major centers in Krak?w, Wislica, Sandomierz, and Strad?w....
      • Lendians
  • Pomeranian
    Pomeranian language

    Pomeranian is a group of Lechitic languages dialects which were spoken in the Middle Ages on the territory of Pomerania. They are most closely related to Polabian language dialects, which they bordered in the west, and to Polish language dialects, which they bordered in the south....
    • Kashubian
      Kashubian language

      Kashubian or Cassubian is one of the Lechitic languages, a subgroup of the Slavic languages.Kashubian is assumed to have evolved from the language spoken by some tribes of Pomeranians called Kashubians, in the region of Pomerania, on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea between the Vistula and Oder River rivers....
       - (ISO 639-2 code: csb)
    • Slovincian - extinct
  • Silesian (ISO 639-3 code: szl)
  • Polabian
    Polabian language

    The Polabian language is an extinct language West Slavic languages language that was spoken by the Slavs of North-Eastern Germany around the river Elbe ....
     - extinct - (SIL Code: pox)


The characteristics of Lechitic languages are:

  • Mutation of Proto-Slavic e, e, e before alveolar
    Alveolar consonant

    Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the Dental alveolus of the superior teeth....
    s into a, o, a, .
  • Continuation of Proto-Slavic dj, ge, gi as dz , dze , dzy .
  • Lack of g ? h transition.
  • Preservation of nasal vowel
    Nasal vowel

    A nasal vowel is a vowel that is produced with a lowering of the Soft palate so that air escapes both through nose as well as the mouth. The term stands in opposition to the term "oral vowel" refers to an ordinary vowel without this nasalisation....
    s.
  • the so-called fourth palatalization of velars
    Velar consonant

    Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the Soft palate)....
     in Polish and Kashubian


The term Lechitic derives from the old alternative name *lechy (see Lechia
Lechia

Lechia is the historical and/or alternative name of Poland, stemming from the word Lech . It is still present in several European languages and some languages of Central Asia and the Middle East:...
) for the Lechitic peoples (in contrast to *cechy for the Czechs
Czech people

Czechs are a West Slavs people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries....
).

Slavic people using those languages were known as Lechites
Lechites

Lechites or Lekhites - name for some tribes of West Slavs whose shared quality was the usage of the Lechitic languages.*Lechitic languages group...
.

See also

  • Lechia
    Lechia

    Lechia is the historical and/or alternative name of Poland, stemming from the word Lech . It is still present in several European languages and some languages of Central Asia and the Middle East:...


External links