LETTIC LANGUAGE AND LITERA TURE. The language and literature of the Letts (q.v.) living in the Russian governments of Cour land, Livonia, Vitebsk, Kovno, and Pskov, and in East Prussia. With Lithuanian (q.v.) and Old Prussian (q.v.), Lettie forms the Baltic subdivi sion of the Indo-Germanie languages (q.v.). The mutual relation between Lettic and Lithuanian is approximately the same as between Old high German and Gothic. Only in a few points is Lettic the more archaic. It has preserved un changed Indo-Germanic .s and z where Lithuanian has modified them into 8z, I sh ) and and it retains the original short vowels where Lithua nian shows long vowels of later development. The imperative is identical with the second per son indicative, while Lithuanian has developed a new form with k as the characteristic sign. On the other hand, Lettic has lost the pure o sound, and has lost the nasal a (as, Lithuanian runkh, Old Church Slavic raki,, Lettic l4ka. Russian ruka. 'hand Lithuanian linkti, Lettie likt, 'to bend'). Usually the vowels in final syllables are dropped, as Lettic rgkas. Lithuanian ran kosn, locative plural of rank& 'hand :' Lettic likt, Lithuanian linkti, 'to bend.' Morphologi cally. Lettie, like the Romance languages, pos sesses only two genders, the neuter (in pronouns and adjectives) being replaced by the masculine. The dual has disappeared entirely, except in diri, two, and abbi, both. Of the eight Indo Germanic cases, the ablative is lost. and the nominative generally performs the functions of the vocative. while the instrumental is usually identical with the accusative in the singular and with the dative in the plural. The verb, which is divided into twelve classes, has only three simple tenses (present, preterite, and future), and three simple moods, indicative, conditional, and imperative, beside an infinitive stem and a supine in tu. It has an active and a reflexive, formed by adding -s=sew-i, 'self,' as well as a passive voice, and six participles. four active (two present, one preterite, and one future), and two passive (present and preterite). The num ber of periphrastic forms is extremely large. As in Czech, the accent came to be fixed invariably on the first syllable. In its vocabulary, 1.ettie exhibits the influence of German, Russian, Esthonian, Livonian, Finnish. and Scandinavian,
and three groups of dialects are distinguished: High Lettie, in the East; Low Lettie, or Tali mian, in Northwestern Courland; and Middle Lettic, on which the literary language is based.
The earliest literary monuments in Lettic are a translation of Luther's Catechism (printed in Kiinigslwrg, 15861, Undeutschc Psalm en, and acsiinge (ib., 1587), a Lettic version of psalms and hymns. Nearly all the works up to the time of G. F. Stender (1714-96) were of a religious charaetel:. Stender compiled an ex haustive dictionary and wrote a grammar which marked an epoch in the history of Lett ie. lie also composed stories and tales. and a Book of Wisdom Concerning the Unire•sc and Nature (1776), containing elements of astronomy, geog raphy. and history, as well as odes and songs. The period 1750-1820 is marked by the birth of national consciousness. To promote it fur ther. periodicals were started. of which the 11a gazin, the organ of the Lettic Literary Associa tion of Mitau since 1827. has been the most important. The decades 1860-80 were the •ul urinating years of this nationalism in literature, with Woldemar at the head of the 'Young Lettie' group, mostly educated in Russian universities.
They endeavored to rid themselves of the all-per vading German influences; they translated the European and Russian classics. and published periodicals wherein the whole economic, social, and intellectual life of the Letts was, discussed with a view to betterment. The last two decades of the nineteenth century were characterized by striving to gain independence from foreign ideals. The best, authors of the period were Jur A Ilunan, a lyric poet and editor of the almanac Horne, Nature, and Unirersc; Kroghen (pseud. Ausak lis) : the brothers Kaudsit ; Pumpurs; Treul•nd Brili•semneeks; and the lyric poet Lautenbach (pseud. dm-minis; professor at Dorpat). The best-known names of the day are: Rosenberg Aspasia ; Apsit; Blauman: Steperman. the au thor of historical dramas; the eriti•s Theodor and Janson; and the fertile Martin Lai). a ballad writer and translator of great gifts. In 1896 the works existing in Lettie numbered 2027, besides ten periodicals. The Lettic folk-literature is enormous, especially in the line of proverbs, riddles, tales, and songs.