ABSTRACT
The West Slavonic languages include a subgroup, known as ‘Lechitic’, comprising Polish (its easternmost variety), Cassubian and the other Slavonic languages once spoken (its easternmost variety), and the other Slavonic languages once spoken throughout what is throughout what is now north Germany as far west as the Lüneburg Heath. Most of now north Germany as far west as the Lüneburg Heath. Most of the dialects of Lechitic the dialects of Lechitic were extinct by the late Middle Ages and are attested only were extinct by the late Middle Ages and are attested only by fragmentary evidence, by fragmentary evidence, principally in the form of place names; but its westernmost principally in the form of place names; but its westernmost variety, which has been given variety, which has been given the name ‘Polabian’ by philologists, survived until the the name ‘Polabian’ by philologists, survived until the eighteenth century and is recorded in eighteenth century and is recorded in a number of substantial vocabularies. Apart from a number of substantial texts. Unless we bestow separate status on Cassubian, a variety of Cassubian, a variety of Lechitic still spoken by over 100,000 people near the Baltic Lechitic still spoken by a population whose size is estimated variously at a few thou-coast to the west of the Bay of Gda sand to half a million near the Baltic ńcoast sk, Polish is the only Lechitic language which to the west of the Bay of Gdańsk, Polish is survives to the present day. Cassubian, despite features but in 2005 it was recognised of testifying to its former independence, ficially as a regional language. Within West Slavonic is now generally regarded as a dialect of Polish the Lechitic subgroup on the one hand and the Czecho-Slovak on the other constitute Within West Slavonic the Lechitic subgroup on the one hand and the Czecho-Slovak on the two extremities. A link between them is provided by Sorbian the other constitute the two extremities. A link between them is provided by Sorbian.
