The Phenomenon of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in LATGALE (19th–21st Centuries)

• In Event: Exploring Slavic Poetry and Linguistic Diversity

Abstract

Latgale, Latvia’s easternmost region, shares borders with Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia.
Historically, it has been a crossroads of diverse linguistic communities, including Baltic
(Latgalian, Latvian, Lithuanian), Slavic (Ruthenian, Belarusian, Polish, Russian), Germanic
(Low German, Yiddish), Balto-Finnic (e.g., Lutsi Estonian), Romani, Hebrew, and, more
recently, English. This multilingual landscape was not confined to standardized forms but
thrived through spoken, non-standardized, and transitional varieties, fostering a unique
linguistic and cultural environment.
Latgale's linguistic diversity developed both horizontally—through geographical
continuity—and vertically—via social and religious interactions, shaping fluid
communicative communities. Over time, older languages faded, while new linguistic codes
emerged and evolved. These shifts were influenced by waves of internal and external
colonization, making Latgale an ideal case study for exploring linguistic ecologies.
Externally, Latgale has been framed as a periphery—historically as a Catholic stronghold, the
easternmost frontier of Latvia, and now as the borderland of the European Union. It has
witnessed military conflicts and power shifts, serving as both an entry point to the West for
Tsarist and Soviet Russia and a symbol of Latvian independence. In recent years, amid
Russian geopolitical aggression, it has become a bastion of Western democratic values.
Linguistically, Latgale is a zone of intense language contact, but its diversity has diminished
significantly. The study analyzes the evolution, maintenance, and decline of linguistic
diversity in the region, proposing typological models to explain the dynamics of change, the
role of multilingualism, and the nature of communicative communities. Finally, it considers
current and potential mechanisms—both overt and covert—that influence language
diversity, particularly in the context of colonization and decolonization efforts.

Author

• Tomasz S. Wicherkiewicz, Adam Mickiewicz U (Poland)