The term Galindian is sometimes ascribed to two separate Baltic languages, both of which were peripheral dialects:
- a West Baltic language referred to as West Galindian;
- a Baltic language previously spoken in Mozhaysk region (present day Russia), referred to as East Galindian or Golyad[1]
Name
There are three proposed etymologies for the denomination Galindian:[2]: 308–309
- Proto-Baltic *Galind- meaning 'outsider' (Lithuanian: gãlas 'wall; border').[3] This is supported by the etymology of the common Old Russian term for the Galindians Голядь Goljad' > *golędь > Baltic *Galind-);
- It is derived from the root *gal-/*gil found in Baltic hydronyms;[4][5] and
- The name means 'the powerful ones' (Lithuanian: galià 'power, strength') and also Celtic languages (Irish: gal 'strength', Welsh: gallus 'power', Galli, Gallia).[6]
Proposed relation
Based on the common name used for the two peoples by ancient authors, some scientists propose a common origin of the two peoples and languages.[2]: 309 [7] In order to prove this hypothesis, they investigate common features between Old Prussian/West Galindian and East Galindian.[2]: 309–310
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.[9] There are no extant writings in Galindian.
Phonology
Consonants
| 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 | |||
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| short | long | short | long | short | long | |
| High | i | iː | u | uː | ||
| Mid | eː | oː | ||||
| Mid-low | ɔ | |||||
| Low | a | aː | ||||
East Galindian
References
- ^ "galindai" [The Galindians]. Visuotinę lietuvių enciklopediją (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ a b c d Dini, Pietro U. (2014). Foundations of Baltic languages. Translated by Richardson, Milda B.; Richardson, Robert E. Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas. ISBN 978-609-437-263-6.
- ^ Būga, Kazimieras (1924). Lietuvių tauta ir kalba bei jos artimieji giminaičiai [The language and nation of the Lithuanians and its close relatives] (in Lithuanian). Kaunas.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Nalepa, Jerzy (1971). "Próba nowej etymologii nazwy Galindia czyli Golędź" [Proposal of a new etymology of the name Galindia or Golędź]. Opuscula slavica 1. Slaviska och baltiska studier (in Polish). Vol. 9. Lund: Slaviska institutionen vid Lunds universitet. pp. 93–115.
- ^ Mažiulis, Vytautas (1981). Prūsų kalbos paminklai [Monuments of the Prussian language] (in Lithuanian). Vol. II. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 318–319.
- ^ Schmid, Wolfgang P. (1998). "Galinder" [Galindians]. In Beck, Heinrich; Geuenich, Dieter; Steuer, Heiko (eds.). Reallexikon der germanischen Alterskunde [Dictionary of Germanic antiquities] (in German). Vol. 10 (2nd revised and enlarged ed.). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 325–327. ISBN 978-3-11-015102-2.
- ^ Otrębski, Jan Szczepan (1958). "Zagadnienie Galindów" [The Galindian question]. In Gieysztor, Aleksander (ed.). Studia Historica. W 35-lecia pracy naukowej Henryka Łowmiańskiego [Studia Historica. On the 35th jubilee of Henryk Łowmiański's scientific work] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. pp. 37–41.
- ^ "Galindan". Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
Until 14th century.
- ^ Tarasov, Iliya (January 2017). "The Balts in the migration period". Istoričeskij Format Исторический Формат (in Russian). 3–4: 95–124.