Liv

Facts

  • Language: Liv
  • Alternate names: Livonian, Līvõ kēļ, Lívõnkél
  • Language code: liv
  • Language family: Uralic, Finnic, Coastal Finnic
  • Number of speakers: 15-20
  • Vulnerability: Awakening [Read more...]
  • Script: Latin script

More information:

    Introduction

    Liv speaking area
    Liv speaking area in Latvia

    Liv is a moribund language now spoken by some 35 people, of whom only 10 are fluent. It is closely related to Estonian. The native land of the Livonian people is Livonia, located in Latvia, north of the Kurzeme peninsula.

    The alphabet

    The Livonian alphabet is a hybrid which mixes Latvian and Estonian orthography.

    A/a, Ā/ā, Ä/ä, Ǟ/ǟ, B/b, D/d, Ḑ/ḑ, E/e, Ē/ē, F/f, G/g, H/h, I/i, Ī/ī, J/j, K/k, L/l, Ļ/ļ, M/m, N/n, Ņ/ņ, O/o, Ō/ō, Ȯ/ȯ, Ȱ/ȱ, Õ/õ, Ȭ/ȭ, P/p, R/r, Ŗ/ŗ, S/s, Š/š, T/t, Ț/ț, U/u, Ū/ū, V/v, Z/z, Ž/ž

    The Verb

    Sample verb: mōļtõ 'to paint'

    Affirmative Negative
    Sg.1 mōļtõb äb mōļt
    Sg.2 mōļtõd äd mōļt
    Sg.3 mōļtõb äb mōļt
    Pl.1 mōļtõm äb mōļtõm
    Pl.2 mōļtõt ät mōļtõt
    Pl.3 mōļtõbõd äb mōļtõt

    Verblist