Erzya

Erzya, also known as Erzya Mordvin, is an East Permic language spoken by the Erzya people, who are one of the two main Mordvin ethnic groups in Russia. It is closely related to Moksha, the other Mordvin language, and is part of the Uralic language family. The Erzya language is primarily spoken in the Republic of Mordovia, a federal subject of Russia, and is one of the official languages of the republic alongside Russian.

Erzya has a rich literary tradition, with the first Erzya book, "Apostol," published in 1873. The language uses the Cyrillic script, which was introduced in the 1930s. Despite its historical significance, Erzya has faced challenges due to the dominance of Russian in education and media, leading to a decline in its usage among younger generations. Efforts are being made to revitalize the language through educational programs and cultural initiatives.

Erzya has a phonological system with a distinctive set of consonants and vowels. Its grammar includes a complex system of cases, which are used to indicate grammatical functions such as subject, object, and possessive. The language also features a rich system of verb conjugations and noun declensions. Erzya vocabulary draws from various sources, including Turkic, Finnic, and Slavic languages, reflecting the historical and cultural interactions of the Mordvin people.