Dolnoserbšćina

Lower Sorbian

Slavic (West, Sorbian)

FamilySlavic (West, Sorbian) Speakers~7K ScriptLatin (with č š ž ě ó ł) CountriesGermany (Lower Lusatia) Official inBrandenburg (regional) Vitalitydefinitely endangered ISO 639-3dsb

Lower Sorbian (Dolnoserbšćina) is the smaller and more endangered of the two Sorbian languages, spoken around Cottbus in Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg. Unlike Catholic-area Upper Sorbian, Lower Sorbian developed in Protestant lands after the Reformation and so received much less institutional support; it survived in oral village use and Lutheran liturgy. It belongs to the West Slavic branch and preserves the Slavic dual number, lost in nearly all other modern Slavic languages.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Lower Sorbian

Water

woda

/ˈvɔda/

Fire

wogeń

/ˈvɔɡɛɲ/

Sun

słyńco

/ˈswɨntsɔ/

Moon

mjasec

/ˈmʲasɛts/

Star

gwězda

/ɡvʲɛzda/

Mother

maś

/maɕ/

Father

nan

/nan/

I

ja

/ja/

You

ty

/tɨ/

Name

/mʲɛ/

Eye

woko

/ˈwɔkɔ/

Hand

ruka

/ˈruka/

Heart

wutšoba

/ˈvutʃɔba/

Love

lubosć

/ˈlubɔɕtɕ/

Tree

bom

/bɔm/

House

dom

/dɔm/

Dog

pjas

/pʲas/

Cat

kócka

/ˈkɛtska/

Eat

jěsć

/jɛɕtɕ/

Drink

piś

/piɕ/

One

jaden

/ˈjadɛn/

Two

dwa

/dva/

Hello

witaj

/ˈvitaj/

Thank you

źěkujom se

/ˈdʑɛkujɔm sɛ/

Good

dobry

/ˈdɔbrɨ/

Cuckoo

kukawa

/ˈkukawa/

Computer

computer

/ˈkɔmpjutɛr/

Words compared

Compared with related Slavic (West, Sorbian) languages

Meaning Lower SorbianUpper SorbianPolishSilesianKashubianCzechMacedonian
Water woda /ˈvɔda/ woda /ˈvɔda/ woda /ˈvɔda/ woda /ˈvɔda/ woda /ˈvɔda/ voda /ˈvoda/ вода /ˈvɔda/
Fire wogeń /ˈvɔɡɛɲ/ woheń /ˈvɔhɛɲ/ ogień /ˈɔɡɛɲ/ ôgyń /ˈɔɡɨɲ/ òdżin /ˈwɛdʒin/ oheň /ˈoɦɛɲ/ оган /ˈɔɡan/
Sun słyńco /ˈswɨntsɔ/ słónco /ˈswʊntsɔ/ słońce /ˈswɔɲtsɛ/ słōńce /ˈswoɲtsɛ/ słuńce /ˈswuɲtsɛ/ slunce /ˈsluntsɛ/ сонце /ˈsɔntsɛ/
Moon mjasec /ˈmʲasɛts/ měsac /ˈmʲɛsats/ księżyc /ˈkɕɛ̃ʐɨts/ miesiōnczek /mʲɛˈɕɔ̃tʂɛk/ ksãżëc /ˈksɔ̃ʐɨts/ měsíc /ˈmɲɛsiːts/ месечина /mɛˈsɛtʃina/
Star gwězda /ɡvʲɛzda/ hwězda /ˈɦwʲɛzda/ gwiazda /ˈɡvjazda/ gwiŏzda /ˈɡvjɔzda/ gwiôzda /ˈɡvjɔzda/ hvězda /ˈɦvjɛzda/ ѕвезда /ˈdzvɛzda/
Mother maś /maɕ/ mać /matɕ/ matka /ˈmatka/ matka /ˈmatka/ mëma /ˈmɜma/ matka /ˈmatka/ мајка /ˈmajka/
Father nan /nan/ nan /nan/ ojciec /ˈɔjtɕɛts/ fater /ˈfatɛr/ tatk /tatk/ otec /ˈotɛts/ татко /ˈtatkɔ/
I ja /ja/ ja /ja/ ja /ja/ /jɔ/ /jɔ/ /jaː/ јас /jas/
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