Lettic

Lettic is an historical designation used in older linguistic and ethnographic literature to refer to the Latvian language and the Latvian-speaking population. In many early sources, Lettic was used as a general term for the language or as a broader umbrella within the Baltic language family, sometimes contrasted with terms associated with Lithuanian.

The term derives from the ethnonym Lett or Letts, which appeared in medieval Latin and later European languages. In some periods and authors, Lettic served to denote the East Baltic sub-branch that included Latvian, sometimes in opposition to Lithuic (Lithuanian), though these classifications varied across authors and eras.

In modern linguistics, Lettic is largely considered obsolete. The standard designation today is Latvian for the language, with Latgalian recognized as a significant variety within Latvian or, by some scholars, as a distinct language. The Baltic language family is typically described in terms of Latvian and Lithuanian, with Latgalian treated as part of Latvian rather than as a separate branch. As a result, Lettic survives mainly as a historical term found in older grammars, dictionaries, and ethnographic writings rather than in contemporary linguistic analysis.

See also: Baltic languages, Latvian language, Latgalian, Lithuanian language, ethnonym Letts.