The article examines the relationship between the two prominent forms of Livonian: Salaca Livonian, spoken on the territory of historical Livonia, and Courland Livonian. Salaca Livonian is compared to the two main dialects of Courland Livonian – the eastern and western dialects. Based on the Salaca Livonian data, the article focuses on the comparison of phonological and grammatical features, also presenting a brief comparison of core vocabulary. The article attempts to explain these similarities. First, Latvian influence was stronger in the Salaca and western Courland Livonian dialect regions. Second, the peripheral location of these regions favored the preservation of archaic features.

ESUKA / JEFUL. Special Issue “Studies on Livonian I”. 2014.

Full article: Karl Pajusalu, The relationship between Salaca Livonian and Courland Livonian dialects [ESUKA – JEFUL 2014, 5–1]