Sorbian languages


The Sorbian languages are two closely related, but only partially mutually intelligible, West Slavic languages spoken by the Sorbs, a West Slavic minority in the Lusatia region of eastern Germany. They are classified under the West Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages and are therefore closely related to the other two West Slavic subgroups: Lechitic and Czech–Slovak. Historically, the languages have also been known as Wendish or Lusatian. Their collective ISO 639-2 code is wen.
The two Sorbian languages and literary standards are Upper Sorbian, spoken by about 40,000 people in Saxony, and Lower Sorbian spoken by about 10,000 people in Brandenburg. The area where the two languages are spoken is known as Lusatia.

History

After the settlement of the formerly Germanic territories by the Sorbs' Slavic ancestors in the fifth and sixth centuries, the Sorbian language had been in use in much of what was the southern half of East Germany for several centuries, and still had its stronghold in Lusatia, where it enjoys national protection and fostering to the present day.
Outside Lusatia, it has been superseded by German. From the 13th century on, the language suffered official discrimination. Bible translations into Sorbian provided the foundations for its writing system.

Geographic distribution

In Germany, Upper and Lower Sorbian are officially recognized and protected as minority languages. In the home areas of the Sorbs, both languages are recognized as second official languages next to German.
The city of Bautzen in Upper Lusatia is the centre of Upper Sorbian culture. Bilingual signs can be seen around the city, including the name of the city, "Bautzen/Budyšin".
The city of Cottbus is considered the cultural centre of Lower Sorbian; here, too, bilingual signs are found.
Sorbian has also been spoken in the small Sorbian settlement of Serbin in Lee County, Texas, and a few speakers possibly still remain there. Until 1949, newspapers were published in Sorbian there. The local dialect has been heavily influenced by surrounding speakers of German and English.
The German terms "Wends" and "Wendish" once denoted "Slav" generally; they are today mostly replaced by "Sorbs" and "Sorbian" with reference to Sorbian communities in Germany.

Linguistic features

Both Upper and Lower Sorbian have the dual for nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs; very few living Indo-European languages retain this as a productive feature of the grammar. For example, the word ruka is used for one hand, ruce for two hands, and ruki for more than two hands. As with most of the Slavic languages, Sorbian uses no articles.

Grammar

The Sorbian languages are declined in six or seven cases:
  1. Nominative
  2. Accusative
  3. Dative
  4. Genitive
  5. Instrumental
  6. Locative
  7. Vocative

    Vocabulary comparison

The following is selected vocabulary from the two Sorbian languages compared with other Slavic languages.
EnglishLower SorbianUpper SorbianSerbo-CroatianBulgarianSloveneCzechPolishPolabianKashubianSilesianSlovakRussianUkrainian
person, manclowek/luźčłowjekчовек / човјек
човек
človekčlověkczłowiekclawakczłowiekczowiekčlovekчеловек
людина,
чоловік
eveningwjacorwječorвече / вечер
вечер
večervečerwieczórvicerwieczórwieczōrvečerвечер
вечір
brotherbratšbratrбрат
брат
bratbratrbratbrotbratbratbratбрат
брат
dayźeńdźeńдан
ден
dandendzieńdôndzéńdziyńdeňдень
день
handrukarukaрука
ръка
rokarukarękarękarãkarynkarukaрука
рука
snowsněgsněhснег / снијег
сняг
snegsníhśniegsnegsniégśniygsnehснег
сніг
summerlěśelěćoлето / љето
лято / лето
poletjelétolatoljutülatolatoletoлето
літо
sistersotšasotraсестра
сестра
sestrasestrasiostrasestrasostrasiostrasestraсестра
сестра
fishrybarybaриба
риба
ribarybarybaraiborëbarybarybaрыба
риба
firewogeńwoheńогањ
огън
ogenjoheňogieńwidinòdżinôgyńoheňогонь
вогонь
waterwódawodaвода
вода
vodavodawodawôdawòdawodavodaвода
вода
windwětšwětrветар / вјетар
вятър / ветер
vetervítrwiatrwjôterwiaterwiatervietorветер
вітер
winterzymazymaзима
зима
zimazimazimazaimazëmazimazimaзима
зима