Latvian language

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Language spoken in Latvia

Latvian

Pronunciation
Native to
Region	Baltic region
Ethnicity
Speakers	1.75 million
Language family	Indo-European
Early forms
Writing system
Official status
Regulated by

Latvian (latviešu valoda) is an Eastern Baltic language spoken primarily in Latvia, where it is the official language. It is one of the two surviving Baltic languages, the other being Lithuanian. Latvian is spoken by approximately 1.75 million people.

History

The history of the Latvian language dates back to the early Indo-European period. It evolved from the Proto-Baltic language, which itself descended from the Proto-Indo-European language. The earliest written records in Latvian date from the 16th century.

Phonology

Latvian has a rich phonological system with a variety of vowel and consonant sounds. It features a pitch accent system, which is uncommon among Indo-European languages. The language has three tones: level, falling, and broken.

Grammar

Latvian grammar is characterized by its use of inflection. Nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs are all inflected to indicate grammatical categories such as case, number, and tense. There are seven grammatical cases in Latvian: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative, and vocative.

Vocabulary

Latvian vocabulary has been influenced by several languages over the centuries, including German, Swedish, Russian, and Polish. Despite these influences, it has retained a significant amount of its original Baltic vocabulary.

Writing System

Latvian uses the Latin alphabet, with additional diacritical marks to represent specific sounds. The modern Latvian alphabet consists of 33 letters.

Dialects

There are three main dialects of Latvian: the Central, the High, and the Tamian. These dialects have minor differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Status and Usage

Latvian is the official language of Latvia and is used in all spheres of public life, including government, education, and media. It is also one of the official languages of the European Union.

Related Pages

• Latvia
• Lithuanian language
• Baltic languages
• Indo-European languages
• Proto-Baltic language
• European Union