Latvia Languages: Difference between revisions

From FamilySearch Wiki
VisualWikitext
m (Creating language page)
m (Creating language page)
Line 8: Line 8:
}}
}}
==Description==
==Description==
*The sole official language of Latvia is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_language '''Latvian'''].
*Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latgalian_language '''Latgalian'''] – as a dialect of Latvian and is a historical variation of the Latvian language.<br>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language '''Russian'''], which was widely spoken during the Soviet period, is still the most widely used minority language by far (in 2011, 34% spoke it at home, including people who were not ethnically Russian).
*While it is now required that all school students learn '''Latvian''', schools also include '''English''', [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language '''German'''], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language '''French'''] and '''Russian''' in their curricula.
*'''English''' is also widely accepted in Latvia in business and tourism.
*As of 2014 there were 109 schools for minorities that use '''Russian''' as the language of instruction (27% of all students) for 40% of subjects (the remaining 60% of subjects are taught in '''Latvian'''). <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Latvia," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia#Language, accessed 26 October 2021.</ref>


==Word List(s)==
Other useful word lists:
*[[Polish Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Latin Genealogical Word List]]
'''Latvian'''
*[[Latvian Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/latvian.php Useful Latvian phrases (Omniglot)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latgalian_language#Language_examples Latgalian and Latvian phrasebook (Wikipedia)]


==Word List(s)==
'''Latgalian'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latgalian_language#Language_examples Latgalian and Latvian phrasebook (Wikipedia)]
 
'''Russian'''
*[[Russian Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/russian.php Useful Russian phrases (Omniglot)]
 
'''German'''
*[[German Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/german.php Useful German phrases (Omniglot)]


'''French'''
*[[French Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/french.php Useful French phrases (Omniglot)]


==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
'''Latvian'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_phonology Latvian phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_orthography#Alphabet Latvian alphabet (Wikipedia)]
*[https://omniglot.com/writing/latvian.htm Latvian Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]


==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
'''Latgalian'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latgalian_phonology Latgalian phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latgalian_language#Alphabet Latgalian alphabet (Wikipedia)]
*[https://omniglot.com/writing/latgalian.htm Latgalian Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]
 
'''Russian'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_phonology Russian phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_alphabet Russian alphabet (Wikipedia)]
*[https://omniglot.com/writing/russian.htm Russian Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]


==Additional Resources==
'''German'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_German_phonology Standard German phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography#Alphabet German alphabet (Wikipedia)]
*[https://omniglot.com/writing/german.htm German Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]


Latvian belongs to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family and is related to Lithuanian. It was written in the Gothic script until the early 20th century when Roman script was adopted. While ethnic Latvians obviously speak their mother tongue, only a quarter of the ethnic Russian minority are fluent in Latvian.
'''French'''
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_phonology French phonology (Wikipedia)]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_orthography#Alphabet French alphabet (Wikipedia)]
*[https://www.omniglot.com/writing/french.htm French Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)]


Latvian records were written in a variety of different languages. Lutheran records were mostly recorded in German, while both Greek and Roman Catholic records were written in Latin or Polish. Russian was also prevalent in church records of all faiths towards the late 1800s and early 1900s. Revision lists and the 1897 Census are primarily in Russian, but German and Latvian can occur. After Latvian independence was achieved in 1920, Latvian became the language of the records.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Latvia,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 1995-2002.</ref>
==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
'''Latvian'''
*[https://glosbe.com/en/lv English to Latvian Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[http://mylanguages.org/learn_latvian.php Learn Latvian (My Languages)]


For word lists and translation help in pre-1920 Latvian records, see:
'''Latgalian'''
*[https://glosbe.com/en/ltg English to Latgalian Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om8TxjEwPHU The Sound of the Latgalian language (YouTube)]


*[[Russian Genealogical Word List]]
'''Russian'''
*[[German Genealogical Word List]]
*[[Russian Letter Writing Guide]]
*[[Polish Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://glosbe.com/en/ru English to Russian Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[[Latin Genealogical Word List]]
*[https://www.duolingo.com/course/ru/en/Learn-Russian Learn Russian in just 5 minutes (duolingo)]
*[https://www.babbel.com/learn-russian Learn Russian (Babbel)]
 
'''German'''
*[[German Letter Writing Guide]]
*[https://en.glosbe.com/en/de English to German Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[https://www.duolingo.com/course/de/en/Learn-German Learn German in just 5 minutes (duolingo)]
*[https://www.germanpod101.com/ Learn German (GermanPod101)]


For word lists and translation help in post-1920 Latvian records, see:
'''French'''
*[[French Letter Writing Guide]]
*[https://en.glosbe.com/en/fr English to French Dictionary (Glosbe)]
*[https://www.duolingo.com/course/fr/en/Learn-French Learn French in just 5 minutes (duolingo)]
*[https://www.babbel.com/learn-french Learn French (Babbel)]


*[[Latvian Genealogical Word List]]
==Additional Resources==
*[https://www.worldcat.org/title/latvia-a-short-history/oclc/938018031&referer=brief_results Latvia : a short history (WorldCat)]
*[https://www.worldcat.org/title/latviesu-valodas-dialektu-atlants-fonetika-the-atlas-of-the-latvian-dialects-phonetics/oclc/859169298&referer=brief_results Latviešu valodas dialektu atlants. Fonētika = The Atlas of the Latvian dialects : phonetics (WorldCat)]
*[https://www.latvia.eu/society-lifestyle/language Discover Latvia Language (Latvia.eu)]
*[https://wikitravel.org/en/Latvia Latvia (Wikitravel)]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 13:47, 26 October 2021

Latvia Wiki Topics
Flag of Latvia.svg.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
Latvia Background
Local Research Resources

Description[edit | edit source]

  • The sole official language of Latvia is Latvian.
  • Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct Latgalian – as a dialect of Latvian and is a historical variation of the Latvian language.
  • Russian, which was widely spoken during the Soviet period, is still the most widely used minority language by far (in 2011, 34% spoke it at home, including people who were not ethnically Russian).
  • While it is now required that all school students learn Latvian, schools also include English, German, French and Russian in their curricula.
  • English is also widely accepted in Latvia in business and tourism.
  • As of 2014 there were 109 schools for minorities that use Russian as the language of instruction (27% of all students) for 40% of subjects (the remaining 60% of subjects are taught in Latvian). [1]

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Other useful word lists:

Latvian

Latgalian

Russian

German

French

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Latvian

Latgalian

Russian

German

French

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Latvian

Latgalian

Russian

German

French

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Latvia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia#Language, accessed 26 October 2021.
Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Latvia_Languages&oldid=4594866"