Sorbian, also referred to as Sorabian, Lusatian, or Wendish, is a native Slavic language spoken in a small region of eastern Germany, close to the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic. The language is indigenous to Lusatia, historically called Luzici around the first millennium, meaning “low swamp land” in Old Slavic. Today, Lusatia generally refers to the area from the northern edge of the Spree Forest to just north of the German-Czech border. Major cities like Görlitz were once Sorbian centers but no longer have active Sorbian-speaking communities.
Sorbian’s decline began with medieval colonization by Flemish, Saxon, Thuringian, and Frankish settlers, and intensified over centuries. Public use of Sorbian was banned in certain urban areas and entirely suppressed during Nazi Germany. Under East Germany, Sorbian culture was promoted for political reasons but lacked genuine support. Today, economic migration and cultural assimilation have led to an aging speaker population, and younger generations increasingly adopt German.
Currently, Sorbian has roughly 50,000 speakers in Germany, with about 40,000 speaking Upper Sorbian. Small communities exist in Texas, though these are influenced by English, and very few remain in Australia. All Sorbian speakers are bilingual in German, though the use of Sorbian is declining among younger generations.
Sorbian has a dialect continuum, which results in poor mutual comprehension between northern and southern dialects. Therefore, two standard forms have emerged:
While both standards share similar orthographic conventions influenced by Polish and Czech, some letters are preserved for historical reasons. For example, ł and w are both pronounced [w], but kept separate in writing. Sorbian retains certain ancient Slavic features like dual grammatical forms, even as it incorporates German influences in phonology, word order, and vocabulary.
Sorbian exhibits strong German influence due to centuries of contact, reflected in phonology, loanwords, and calques. Despite these influences, it maintains Slavic characteristics in its grammar and syntax. Pronunciation among younger speakers increasingly shows German accents, including the uvular /r/. Historically, Sorbian shared some pronunciation traits with Lower Silesian German dialects, though these are fading.
Both Upper and Lower Sorbian use unique orthographic systems with some historical etymological retention. Sorbian employs letters and sequences that distinguish sounds no longer present in German. Roman-based scripts are standard today, though some historical texts used older conventions influenced by neighboring languages.
Sorbian is used in regional television, radio, literature, theater, and music. The arts have preserved traditional forms while embracing modern and experimental styles. Despite being less known internationally, Sorbian culture and language continue to thrive in dedicated communities.
The Sorbs are often mistakenly associated with Serbs due to historical naming similarities, but these groups are ethnically and linguistically distinct. Terms such as "Wend" or "Wendish" are considered offensive by many; “Sorbian” is the most precise and accepted designation. The term “Lusatian” may describe the language or region but is less specific.
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