The term Galindian is sometimes ascribed to two separate

Baltic languages 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 lang ...

, both of which were peripheral dialects: * First, a Western Baltic language referred to as West Galindian; and * Second, a Baltic language previously spoken in Mozhaysk 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 of the Galindians previously spoken in what is today North-eastern Poland and thought to have been a dialect of Old Prussian, 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 Baltic language of the Balts living in the Protva Basin in present-day Russia.

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