Baltic languages facts for kids

The Baltic languages are part of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. Baltic languages are mostly spoken in the Baltics, around the Baltic sea.

Branches

There are three branches of Baltic languages. Two are extinct.

Western Baltic languages †

• (Western) Galindian †
• Old Prussian †
• Sudovian (Yotvingian) †
•  ? Skalvian † (unattested)

Eastern Baltic languages

• Latvian (~2.2 million speakers, whereof ~1.75 million native speakers, 0.5 million second language speakers)
• Latgalian (150,000–200,000 speakers)
• Lithuanian (~3 million native speakers)
• Selonian †
• Semigallian †
• Old Curonian (sometimes considered Western Baltic) †

Dnieper Baltic languages †

• (Eastern) Galindian (the language of the Eastern Galindians, also known by its name in Ukrainian: Голядь, romanized: Golyad') †

(† – extinct language)

Images for kids

• 

  Distribution of the Baltic languages in the Baltic (simplified)

• 

  The epigram of Basel – oldest known inscription in Prussian language and Baltic language in general, middle of 14th c

• 

  Place of Baltic languages according to Wolfgang P. Schmid, 1977.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas bálticas para niños