The term Galindian is sometimes ascribed to two separate Baltic languages, both of which were peripheral dialects:
There are three proposed etymologies for the denomination Galindian: [2] : 308–309
Golyad and West Galindian have been proposed by scientists to have had a common origin that is based on two ancient authors using the common name of Galindian for both of them. [2] : 309 [7] In order to prove this hypothesis, they investigate common features between Prussian/West Galindian and Golyad. [2] : 309–310
Marija Gimbutas suggested that both the Golyads and West Galindians name could both originate from the word for end or borderland in Lithuanian (gãlas) and Latvian (gàls). [8] There has also been a suggestion that the West Galindians' name could come from the Prussian word for death (gallan). [9] This name could have come from the Golyad being the furthest Baltic tribe in the east. [8]
Some theories that propose a relationship between West Galindian and Golyad are that the West Galindians migrated from their homeland in Prussia towards the Protva basin. [9] People believe this migration would have been one in the Migration Period and would have occurred between the 5th and 7th centuries. [10] In this theory, another group who also migrated West during this period, the Goths, are believed to have also inspired the language and culture of the Golyads. [11] Another theory is that the Golyads were West Galindians that were captured during wars with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Russian duchies, but this is unlikely as local Slavs wouldn't have replaced their own names for regions with names from their POWs. [9]
(West) Galindian | |
---|---|
Galindan | |
Region | Northeastern Poland |
Ethnicity | Galindians |
Extinct | 14th century AD [12] |
Indo-European
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | xgl |
xgl | |
Glottolog | west3001 |
![]() Former extent of West Baltic languages, including Galindian. West Galindian † | |
West Galindian is the poorly attested extinct Baltic language of the Galindians previously spoken in what is today northeastern Poland and thought to have been a dialect of Old Prussian, [2] : 290 or a Western Baltic language similar to Old Prussian. [13] There are no extant writings in Galindian.
Labial | Dental/ Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Velar | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
plain | pal. | |||||
Nasal | m | n | nʲ | |||
Plosive | voiceless | p | t | tʲ | k | |
voiced | b | d | dʲ | dʒ | ɡ | |
Fricative | voiceless | f | s | ʃ | ||
voiced | z | ʒ | ||||
Trill | r | rʲ | ||||
Approximant | l | lʲ | j |
Front | Central | Back | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
short | long | short | long | short | long | |
High | i | iː | u | uː | ||
Mid | eː | oː | ||||
Mid-low | ɔ | |||||
Low | a | aː |
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Until 14th century.