Latvian language

Latvian is an Eastern Baltic language spoken chiefly in Latvia and the country's official language. It is one of two surviving Baltic languages, alongside Lithuanian.

Baltic languages: A branch of the Indo-European language family comprising Latvian, Lithuanian, and extinct languages such as Old Prussian. Latvian belongs to this small branch, whose surviving languages preserve distinctive Indo-European features.
Proto-Baltic language: The reconstructed ancestral language from which the Baltic languages developed. Latvian descends from Baltic varieties that emerged from this reconstructed ancestor.
Gottfried Friedrich Stender: An eighteenth-century Baltic German pastor and author who wrote influential Latvian-language works. His grammar and publications contributed to early Latvian literacy and language study.
Official language: A language designated by law for use in government and other public functions. Latvian’s constitutional status establishes its role in state institutions and public services.
Language policy in Latvia: The laws and public measures governing language use in Latvia. Policy has strengthened Latvian in public life while shaping debates about minority-language rights.
Latvian phonology: The sound system of Latvian, including its consonants, vowels, and distinctive pitch accent. Its long and short syllables and three pitch patterns shape Latvian pronunciation.
Latgalian language: An East Baltic language variety traditionally spoken in Latgale, eastern Latvia, with a literary tradition of its own. Its history and distinct written tradition illuminate regional variation within Latvia.
Krišjānis Barons: A Latvian folklorist who compiled and edited the vast collection known as Latvju dainas. His work preserved folk songs that became central to Latvian cultural identity and literary language.
Education in Latvia: The system of schools and higher education institutions operating in Latvia. Latvian is the principal language of instruction in the national education system.
Latvian National Awakening: The nineteenth-century movement that fostered Latvian national consciousness and cultural institutions. The movement made Latvian language and folklore central symbols of national identity.

Linked from 7 pages