The Lechitic Languages – A Comparison of Living and Extinct Languages and Dialects (Part 1)

Photo by Marek Kalisiński

Origins of Lechitic people are described in The Chronicle of Nestor (12thcentury AD) where he speaks of the tribal split among north-western Slavs. He wrote that the Lechites settled over the Vistula river and from there, split into Poles, Luticians (or Veleti), Masovians and Pomeranians. Genetic research confirms that Western Slavonic people show genetic continuity in central and southern Poland since 8th century BC. This group was formed from the speakers of the proto-Slavic language, approximately two millennia after the separation of Balto-Slavic languages into their Baltic and Slavic branches. According to written sources, Western Slavs could understand each other till 10th century. That shows close relations between Lechitic and Czecho-Slovakian languages. Czech and Polish language are said to have rapidly changed under the rule of the Piast dynasty in Poland and Přemyslid dynasty in Czechia. Upper and Lower Lusatian languages did not change that much, so they sound more archaic. One could say that they represent the natural bridge between Czech and Polish languages. We should note that in medieval Poland it was considered classy to know Czech, and some minor influences and borrowings may be found till this day. Also, modern Czech was reconstructed partially on the basis of Polish language.

The term “Lechitic languages” was introduced to the linguistic classification in 1862 by Aleksander Hilferding. It includes Polish, Kashubian (Eastern Pomeranian), Slovincian (Pomeranian dialect extinct since XX century), Silesian and Polabian languages that went extinct in the first half of the 18th century in north-eastern Germany. The main characteristics of the group are the preservation of archaic elements of proto-Slavic language that disappeared in all other Slavonic languages, and later mutation of those among different dialects.

Characteristics (by wikipedia):

-Preservation of nasal vowels.

-Development of proto-Slavic ě, e, ę into a, o, ǫ before hard consonants (or other similar differentiations of these vowels depending on dialect). This gives rise to alternations such as modern Polish lato (“summer”, nominative) vs. lecie (locative), pięć (“five”) vs. piąty (“fifth”).

-Vocalization of the syllabic consonants r, r’, l’, l. Compare modern Polish gardło (“throat”) with Czech hrdlo.

-Transposition of or, ol, er, el into ro etc. in many words between consonants. Compare Polish mleko (“milk”) with Russian молоко (“milk”, pronounced moloko).

-Retention of Proto-Slavic *dz as an affricate, rather than a plain fricative z.

–Lack of the g → ɣ transition. Compare Polish góra, Czech hora (“mountain”).

-The so-called fourth palatalization of velars in Polish and Kashubian.

Photo by Marek Kalisiński

Most of the Polabian languages disappeared because of what we could call a medieval German “Kulturkampf”. After the reformation though, few of the “Wendic” dialects began to form their own written forms. Upper and Lower Lusatian languages of the Lusatians and Milcans dominated other languages to the moment when those became little-used, strictly local dialects. The only remaining sign of their existence are the seven different alphabets created for each of them.

When comparing different languages of the Lechitic branch we are forced to use examples from totally different periods of time for each of them as reference. Poland was the last country in the world where Latin was the official national language next to the native one; and first written sentences in Polish come from as late as 14th century. Oldest written texts of Lusatian Sorbs come from 16th century. The so-called Polabian language is the name used for actually just one of them, the one that the descendants of Drevani tribe spoke. It was itself close to extinction and full of German loan-words when its remains from Eastern Hanover were preserved by German scholars. It took place at the end of 17th century in form of dictionaries, the authors of which terribly deformed the pronunciation of words with the usage of German phonetics. Other Polabian dialects did not survive and left only toponyms.

Now let’s look at some words known to be common for all Lechitic languages.

A military leader was known as wojewoda in Polish, “wawoada” or “wowoda” in Polabian (both deformed by German phonetics), “wogiwot” what is German deformation of “wojewot” on Ruyana.

The word for prince (pagan king) in 12th century was “kniaz” in Polish, “kniez” among Pomeranians and Obodrites.

In heaven was “wa Nebisgaj” or “wa nebesai” in deformed Polabian, “w niebie” in Polish, “na njebju” in Upper Lusatian and “w niebie” in Kashubian.

Us was “nos” in Polabian, “nas” in Polish, Upper Lusatian and Kashubian.

Our was “nose” in Polabian, “nasze” in Polish, “naše” in Upper Lusatian and “naje” in Kashubian.

Now, the nasal vowels.

As we have said before, only Lechitic languages preserved those unique proto-Slavonic sounds, but in past, they seemed to function in some minimalized form in the Bulgarian language used on the Macedonian territories. They are also present in Old-Church Slavonic, but depending on the region where it was used it merged with other sounds. Nasal vowels are differing in pronunciation and usage even within dialects of the same language. Most linguists agree that all of them probably derive from one single sound which would resemble „an“ spoken through the nose. This original sound is preserved only in Kashubian (Pomeranian) language. In Polish, with time it morphed into „ą“ (something like „ou“) and „ę“ (similar to „en“). When we look at the medieval Polish, we see mostly „ą“. „Ę“ seems to be younger than „an“ and older than „ą“ vowels. Its also often switched with the original „an“ sound in Kashubian. I say „younger“ because it appears in some Old-Slavonic texts and on Pomeranian memorials from 12th century. In the Kociewian dialect, this vowel does not exist at all and only original „an“ is used.

The sound „an“ in the Kashubian language is now written as „ã“ but Kashubian did not have its own alphabet till quite recently. The German way of writing Slavic sounds with Latin alphabet is to blame for the fact that on Ruyana Island in 1295 we find names like „Wangherniza“ which is in Polish „Węgornica,“ or „Lancha“ (flower field) and „Lancka“ (diminutive of the same word) which is „Łąka“ and „Łączka“ in Polish. Bamblin (Bąblin?), Swantenwostroe, Panchowitz, Blandiszlavicze, Bamboz. The vowel „ę“ was written in form of „en“ like Rensitze (Ręsicze?), Swente (obviously „Święte“ which means „holy“), Zerbentin, Denschewic, Venzikus etc. Only in the name Bonsowe do we find the sign of using „ą“.

It seems that originally Lechitic language had only one nasal vowel „an“ or Kashubian „ã“. We speak about ancient times. Times close to the mythical brothers Lech, Czech, and Russ. Inland continental Lechites started to use „ę“ first, and then with time „ą“ took place of the „an“. On Ruyana, in territories of modern Brandenburg, Mecklenburg and Hanover, those vowels were not used until at least 13th century.

Yet, there is one more nasal vowel which appears only in Polabian language. Its known in form of „un“. For example, „hand“ – Polish „ręka,“ in Polabian was pronounce „runka“. „Tooth“ – „ząb“ in Polish, is „zumb“ in Polabian. „Oak“ – „dąb“ and „dumb“.

Photo by Marek Kalisiński

From all Lechitic languages, Kashubian and Polabian seem to be the closest, and changes in them appear to be same and occur simultaneously. Could it be the reason for close relations and friendship between early medieval Pomeranians and northern Polabians? Or maybe both of those facts are the result of some other deciding factor? Indeed some researchers say that tribal consciousness of Polabians was formed on the territories of Pomerania. Were they the same people for much longer time than we know?

In next part of this article, we will focus on the aspect of similarities in the evolution of Pomeranian and Polabian languages.

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