BALTIC LANGUAGES & PROTO-BALTIC

The Sūdovians (Yatvingians) and Prussians both formed a closely related Baltic language group known as the Western Balts, to which one should also include the ancient Curonians. The Languages (dialects) of both the Western and Eastern Balts (Lithuanian and Latvian) evolved from the Proto-Baltic language. The Proto-Baltic language area of which (the lower reaches of the Vistula, Daugava, the Nemunas basin, the upper reaches of the Dnieper, etc.) - is known to have developed into the (1) Proto-Baltic Area of Central dialects, or the Central Proto-Baltic area and (2) Proto-Baltic Area of Peripheral dialects or Peripheral Proto-Baltic Area. The Sūdovians can be regarded as a link in a chain of this latter group, while the Lithuanians and Latvians are considered to be the remnants of the Cental Proto-Baltic Area.

The 10th century B.C. marks the beginning of a split (distinct by the 5th century B.C.) in the Proto-Baltic languages, which was just an increase in the differentiation of the dialects of the Peripheral area, i.e. a further shift of these latter dialects from the dialects of the Central Proto-Baltic Area. It is of interest to note that such a differentiation of dialects took place in the Central dialects much later, around the 5-7^th century A.D., evolving Proto-Lithuanian-Latvian.

The Western Baltic dialect that later gave rise to the Sūdovian and Prussian languages is one of the dialects of the Proto-Baltic Peripheral Area. The 5^th c. B.C. also coincided with the split of yet another dialect (Curonian language) of the Peripheral Proto-Baltic Area from the tree of the dialects of the Central Proto-Baltic Area.

Thus, the Western Balts should include the Sūdovians and Prussians, and also the Curonians, the former comprising the Southern group, and the latter, the Northern group. This explains the similiarity between Sūdovian ( Jatvingian ) and Prussian.

Certain innovations (i.e.,declension) that occurred in the Central dialects are not reflected in the Peripheral dialects. The Peripheral dialects retain an archaic declension which gives one a clearer window into both Proto-Baltic, and Proto-Indo-European, and their evolution.

"The traditional academic construct of a seven case declensional system for Proto Indo-European
is as synthetic as it is theoretically convenient." ( Jeannette DeBusk Cox )

Some very archaic lexical differences existed between the Western dialects and the Central dialects. The word for "FIRE" is just such an example. The Western Balts used the word "PANU", whereas the Central Balts used the word (Lith.) "UGNIS". Both words have cognates in other ancient Indo-European languages. That such archaic diversity existed within Proto-Baltic presents some interesting issues.

Reading from the archaeological record, one can associate dates of 3,000 - 2,300 B.C. with various material artifacts and non-native (wheat and hemp) plant pollens that appear to indicate the arrival of "Indo-European" speaking peoples in the region around present day Lithuania. After 2,300 B.C., the agricultural record intensifies. All this would seem to indicate that the migration to the Baltic region (via the Dnieper Rapids) from the "Proto Indo-European" epoch homeland occured early, using oxen pulled carts, and horses.

In respect to hematological variations in the frequencies of the Landsteiner-Wiener (LW) blood group, the frequency of the uncommon LWb gene was highest in the Balts, around 7.5% among Lithuanian Samogitians, and very low among the other western Europeans (0-0.1%). The LWb Blood Group can be seen as a genetic Tribal Marker of Prehistoric Baltic Migrations and Admixture.

( Click here for more about the above archaeological record - use "back" button to return)

( Click here to see the "Prussian Reconstructions" webpage - use "back" button to return)