apvienotas

Apvienotas, commonly known as the Latvian language, is the official language of Latvia and one of the three official languages of the Latvian Special Economic Zone in Liepāja. It belongs to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family, closely related to Lithuanian, with which it shares many similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and phonetics. The language is spoken by approximately 1.5 million people, primarily in Latvia, though there are also notable communities of Latvian speakers in the Baltic states, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, and other countries due to historical migration.

The origins of Latvian can be traced back to the ancient Baltic languages spoken by the Baltic tribes. The earliest written records date back to the 13th century, primarily in Christian religious texts. The modern Latvian language began to develop in the 19th century during the Latvian National Awakening, a period of cultural and political revival among Latvians. Key figures such as Krišjānis Barons and Andrejs Pumpurs played significant roles in standardizing the language and promoting its use in literature, education, and public life.

Latvian is an inflected language, meaning that word forms change depending on their grammatical function. It features a rich system of noun cases (seven in total), verb conjugations, and adjectival declensions. The phonetic system is relatively straightforward, with a focus on vowel harmony and a limited consonant inventory. The Latin alphabet is used to write Latvian, though some historical texts and loanwords may incorporate Cyrillic characters.

Today, Latvian is a recognized minority language in several countries, including Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia, where it is protected by local legislation. The language has also gained international recognition through its inclusion in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Efforts to preserve and promote Latvian include language education programs, cultural festivals, and digital initiatives aimed at maintaining its vitality in an increasingly globalized world.