The term Galindian is sometimes ascribed to two separate Baltic languages, both of which were peripheral dialects: * First, a

Western Baltic language The Western Baltic languages were a group of Baltic languages that were spoken by Western Baltic peoples. Western Baltic is one of the two primary branches of Baltic languages, along with Eastern Baltic. It includes Old Prussian, Sudovian, West ...

referred to as West Galindian; and * Second, a Baltic language previously spoken in

Mozhaysk MozhayskAlternative transliterations include ''Mozhaisk'', ''Mozhajsk'', ''Mozhaĭsk'', and ''Možajsk''. ( rus, Можа́йск, p=mɐˈʐajsk) is a town and the administrative center of Mozhaysky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to th ...

region (present day Russia), referred to as East Galindian

Name

There are three poposed etymologies for the denomination Galindian: * Proto-Baltic ''*Galind-'' meaning 'outsider' ( lt, gãlas 'wall; border'). This is supported by the etymology of the common Old Russian term for the Galindians russian: Голядь > *golędь > Baltic *Galind-); * It is derived from the root *gal-/*gil found in Baltic Hydronyms; and * The name means "the powerful ones" ( lt, galià 'power, strengh') and also Celtic languages ( ga, gal 'strengh', cy, gallus 'power', ''Galli'', ''Gallia'').

Proposed relation

Based on the common name used for the two people by ancient authors, some scientists propose a common origine of the two people and languages. In order to prove this hypothesis, they investigate common features between Old Prussian/West Galindian and East Galindian.

West Galindian

West Galindian is the poorly attested extinct

Baltic language The Baltic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 4.5 million people mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Together with the Slavic langu ...

of the

Galindians Galindians were two distinct, and now extinct, tribes of the Balts. Most commonly, Galindians refers to the Western Galindians who lived in the southeast part of Prussia. Less commonly, it is used for a tribe that lived in the area of what is tod ...

previously spoken in what is today North-eastern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and thought to have been a dialect of

Old Prussian Old Prussian was a Western Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages, which was once spoken by the Old Prussians, the Baltic peoples of the Prussian region. The language is called Old Prussian to avoid con ...

, or a Western Baltic language similar to Old Prussian. There are no extant writings in Galindian.

East Galindian

East Galindian is the poorly attested extinct

of the Balts living in the

Protva The Protva () is a river in Moscow and Kaluga Oblasts in Russia, left tributary of the Oka. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .

Basin in present-day

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

Phonology

Based on Baltic substratum and hydronomy in the Protva Basin, the following phonology can be reconstructed:

Consonants

Vowels

Lexicon

There are some Russian words from the Portva Basin region suspected to be Baltisms: } 'special type of beer', lt, alùs, lv, aliņš , - ! , , 'to break something into pieces' , lt, kramseti, lv, kramstīt , - ! , , 'fishing gear' , lt, nérti, lv, nērt 'to sink' , - ! , , 'type of weed' , lt, pìkulė 'sisymbrium'

References

{{Baltic languages Baltic languages West Baltic languages Medieval languages Extinct Baltic languages Extinct languages of Europe