THC Science

Galindan
Galindan
Galindian
Region	North-eastern Poland
Extinct	Fourteenth century
Language family	Indo-European Balto-Slavic Western Baltic Galindan; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	xgl
Linguist List	xgl
Glottolog	None

The term Galindian is sometimes ascribed to two separate Baltic languages, both of which where 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^[1]

Name

There are three poposed etymologies for the denomination Galindian:^[2]^{: 308–309}

Proto-Baltic *Galind- meaning 'outsider' (Lithuanian: gãlas 'wall; border').^[3] This is supported by the etymology of the common Old Russian term for the Galindians Russian: Голядь Goljad' > *golędь > Baltic *Galind-);
It is derived from the root *gal-/*gil found in Baltic Hydronyms;^[4]^[5] and
The name means "the powerful ones" (Lithuanian: galià 'power, strengh') and also Celtic languages (Irish: gal 'strengh', Welsh: gallus 'power', Galli, Gallia).^[6]

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.^[2]^: 309^[7] In order to prove this hypothesis, they investigate common features between Old Prussian/West Galindian and East Galindian.^[2]^{: 309–310}

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,^[2]^: 290 or a Western Baltic language similar to Old Prussian.^[8] There are no extant writings in Galindian.

East Galindian

Europe in 7–8th century – Baltic tribes are shown in dark purple. Eastern Galindians can be seen within the Slavic territory.

East Galindian is the poorly attested extinct Baltic language of the Balts living in the Protva Basin in present-day Russia.^[2]^: 307

Phonology

Based on Baltic substratum and hydronomy in the Protva Basin, the following phonology can be reconstructed:^[2]^{: 311–312}

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/ Alveolar		Post- alveolar	Velar
		Labial	plain	pal.	Post- alveolar	Velar
Nasal		m	n	nʲ
Plosive	voiceless	p	t	tʲ	tʃ	k
Plosive	voiced	b	d	dʲ		ɡ
Fricative	voiceless		s		ʃ
Fricative	voiced	v	z		ʒ
Trill			r	rʲ
Approximant			l	lʲ	j

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
High	i iː		u uː
Mid	eː		oː
Mid-low	ɛ
Low		a aː

References

^ "galindai" [The Galindians]. Visuotinę lietuvių enciklopediją (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dini, Pietro U. (2014). Foundations of Baltic languages. Translated by Richardson, Milda B.; Richardson, Robert E. Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas. ISBN 978-609-437-263-6.
^ Būga, Kazimieras (1924). Lietuvių tauta ir kalba bei jos artimieji giminaičiai [The language and nation of the Lithuanians and its close relatives] (in Lithuanian). Kaunas.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Nalepa, Jerzy (1971). "Próba nowej etymologii nazwy Galindia czyli Golędź" [Proposal of a new etymology of the name Galindia or Golędź]. Opuscula slavica 1. Slaviska och baltiska studier (in Polish). Vol. 9. Lund: Slaviska institutionen vid Lunds universitet. pp. 93–115.
^ Mažiulis, Vytautas (1981). Prūsų kalbos paminklai [Monuments of the Prussian language] (in Lithuanian). Vol. II. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 318–319.
^ Schmid, Wolfgang P. (1998). "Galinder" [Galindians]. In Beck, Heinrich; Geuenich, Dieter; Steuer, Heiko (eds.). Reallexikon der germanischen Alterskunde [Dictionary of Germanic antiquities] (in German). Vol. 10 (2nd revised and enlarged ed.). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 325–327. ISBN 978-3-11-015102-2.
^ Otrębski, Jan Szczepan (1958). "Zagadnienie Galindów" [The Problem of Galindians]. In Gieysztor, Aleksander (ed.). Studia Historica. W 35-lecia pracy naukowej Henryka Łowmiańskiego [Studia Historica. On the 35th jubilee of Henryk Łowmiański's scientific work] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. pp. 37–41.
^ Tarasov, Iliya (January 2017). "The Balts in the migration period". Istoričeskij Format Исторический Формат (in Russian). 3–4: 95–124.

[1] "galindai" [The Galindians]. Visuotinę lietuvių enciklopediją (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. Retrieved 2022-01-28.

[Dini-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dini, Pietro U. (2014). Foundations of Baltic languages. Translated by Richardson, Milda B.; Richardson, Robert E. Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas. ISBN 978-609-437-263-6.

[3] Būga, Kazimieras (1924). Lietuvių tauta ir kalba bei jos artimieji giminaičiai [The language and nation of the Lithuanians and its close relatives] (in Lithuanian). Kaunas.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[4] Nalepa, Jerzy (1971). "Próba nowej etymologii nazwy Galindia czyli Golędź" [Proposal of a new etymology of the name Galindia or Golędź]. Opuscula slavica 1. Slaviska och baltiska studier (in Polish). Vol. 9. Lund: Slaviska institutionen vid Lunds universitet. pp. 93–115.

[5] Mažiulis, Vytautas (1981). Prūsų kalbos paminklai [Monuments of the Prussian language] (in Lithuanian). Vol. II. Vilnius: Mokslas. pp. 318–319.

[6] Schmid, Wolfgang P. (1998). "Galinder" [Galindians]. In Beck, Heinrich; Geuenich, Dieter; Steuer, Heiko (eds.). Reallexikon der germanischen Alterskunde [Dictionary of Germanic antiquities] (in German). Vol. 10 (2nd revised and enlarged ed.). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 325–327. ISBN 978-3-11-015102-2.

[7] Otrębski, Jan Szczepan (1958). "Zagadnienie Galindów" [The Problem of Galindians]. In Gieysztor, Aleksander (ed.). Studia Historica. W 35-lecia pracy naukowej Henryka Łowmiańskiego [Studia Historica. On the 35th jubilee of Henryk Łowmiański's scientific work] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. pp. 37–41.

[8] Tarasov, Iliya (January 2017). "The Balts in the migration period". Istoričeskij Format Исторический Формат (in Russian). 3–4: 95–124.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

Baltic languages
Reconstructed	Proto-Balto-Slavic Proto-Baltic
West Baltic	West Galindian Old Prussian Sudovian Skalvian (possibly separate West Baltic)
East Baltic	Curonian? Latvian Kursenieki Latgalian* Lithuanian Aukštaitian Samogitian* Selonian Semigallian
Dnieper Baltic	East Galindian
Italics indicate extinct languages · Languages between parentheses are varieties of the language on their left · Asterisk (*) indicates dialects occasionally classified as languages · Question mark (?) indicates disputed classification.