- Livonian (Līvõ kēļ) belongs to the Finnic branch of the Finno-Ugric languages. It is a moribund language now spoken by some 35 people, of whom only 10 are fluent.[1] It is related to Finnish, spoken on the other side of the Gulf of Finland, and (more closely) to Estonian. The native land of the Livonian people is Livonia, located in Latvia, north of the Kurzeme peninsula. Some ethnic Livonians are learning or have learnt the language in an attempt to revive it. However, this is problematic, as ethnic Livonians are in an extreme minority and have little opportunity to make common use of the language. The Livonian alphabet is a hybrid which mixes Latvian and Estonian orthography

Translated by: RHISIART HINCKS

- Inhabitant or native of Livonia

Translated by: RHISIART HINCKS