Why Only Latvian and Lithuanian Survived
Today, the Baltic language family is fairly small, consisting of only Latvian and Lithuanian. However, this current reality hides a far richer linguistic history. Centuries ago, there were multiple Baltic languages spoken across Northeastern Europe. Over time, though, factors like conquest, cultural assimilation, and the absence of institution support have resulted in the the disappearance of many original Baltic languages.
Historically, the Baltic languages were spoken across a vast region: from the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea into parts of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus. Linguists divided the family into Eastern and Western Baltic branches. Eastern Baltic languages developed into Lithuanian and Latvian while Western ones like Old Prussian, Sudovian, Galindian, and more became extinct. These languages were spoken by tribal communities and few written records remain, making it difficult to research their histories.
Among the extinct languages, Old Prussian is the best documented one. The Old Prussians lived in modern-day parts of Poland, the Kaliningrad Oblast, and Lithuania. The language survived until the early modern period. The earliest texts date to the 16th century and consist of Christian beliefs produced by the German clergy. Linguistically, Old Prussian shared many archaic features with Lithuanian and Latvian, including a complex case system and conservative Indo-European structures. Even though there was documentation, Old Prussian did not end up surviving as a spoken language.
The main cause of the extinction of Western Baltic languages was external pressure and conquests. In the beginning of the 13th century, the Teutonic Knights conquered the Western Baltic region and christianized local populations who originally followed pagan beliefs. This led to violence, a demographic drop, and cultural disruption. German settlers dominated politics, trade, and education which led Baltic speakers to abandon their native languages. Disease and war further reduced the number of speakers and led to a faster language shift. By the 18th century, Old Prussian had disappeared.
There were internal factors that also contributed to the decline. Western Baltic languages lacked standardized writing systems and support. Without schools or administration using these languages consistently, they gradually faded away. Languages with more cultural prestige were transmitted from generation to generation and eventually gained dominance.
Lithuanian and Latvian survived due to different historical conditions. Geographic isolation in rural areas allowed them to persist among peasant populations. Both languages developed stronger written traditions and had national movements in the 19th century. Intellectuals promoted language as a part of identity which led to increased standardization and recognition. This allowed Latvian and Lithuanian to become national languages.
Although the Western branch of the Baltic family is extinct, their influence remains. You can still see place names and loanwords which persist in neighboring languages, and linguists continue reconstructing aspects of their phonology and grammar. The loss of these languages illustrates that language extinction is a historical process shaped by power and policy. The Baltic case study serves as a reminder that language survival greatly depends on social and political support.
