Samogitian language

Samogitian
Žemaitiu kalba
Native toLithuania
RegionSamogitia
Native speakers
< 500,000 (2009)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3sgs
Glottologsamo1265
  Area where Samogitian is spoken

Samogitian (endonym: žemaitiu kalba or sometimes žemaitiu rokunda, žemaitiu šnekta or žemaitiu ruoda; Lithuanian: žemaičių tarmė, žemaičių kalba),[2][3] is an Eastern Baltic language spoken primarily in Samogitia, often considered a dialect of Lithuanian.

It has preserved many features of the extinct Curonian language, such as specific phonological traits and vocabulary. Samogitian differs significantly from standard Lithuanian in phonetics, morphology, syntax, and lexis, with unique archaic features not found in other Lithuanian dialects. This difference often causes speakers of Aukštaitian dialects to not be able to understand speakers of Samogitian.[4] The use of Samogitian is currently in decline, with limited presence in media and education. Efforts are being made to preserve the language, including local initiatives and cultural societies.

  1. ^ "Request for New Language Code Element in ISO 639-3" (PDF). ISO 639-3 Registration Authority. 2009-08-11.
  2. ^ Juozas Pabrėža. Žemaičių kalba ir rašyba. Šiauliai: Šiaulių universitetas, 2017.
  3. ^ Marácz, László; Rosello, Mireille, eds. (2012). Multilingual Europe, Multilingual Europeans. Brill. p. 177. ISBN 978-94-012-0803-1.
  4. ^ Subačius, Giedrius (2005). The Lithuanian language: traditions and trends (PDF). The Lithuanian Institute, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. p. 7. ISBN 9955-548-09-6. Retrieved 16 January 2023.

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