Proto-Slavic

**Vlatko Vukovic** · 10-09-2017, 11:36 PM

The modern language which is the most similar with proto-Slavic language is Polish.

Kryzstztof (Christoph)

**Crn Volk** · 10-09-2017, 11:42 PM

Today's East South Slavic languages are closest to Old Church Slavonic (Staroslovenski);

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_...#Eastern_group

**GhostFromThePast** · 10-09-2017, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Vlatko Vukovic

The modern language which is the most similar with proto-Slavic language is Polish.

Kryzstztof (Christoph)

Jokes aside, Polish is the only major living Slavic language that still has nasal vowels, like the proto-Slavic did.

**NSXD60** · 10-10-2017, 02:55 AM

No document in Proto Slavic, but I imagine it probably resembled a cross between Lithuanian and Old Prussian more than it did OCS.

**GhostFromThePast** · 10-10-2017, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by NSXD60

No document in Proto Slavic, but I imagine it probably resembled a cross between Lithuanian and Old Prussian more than it did OCS.

Not quite, because by definition (first language that can actually be called Slavic) proto-Slavic would have already undergone extensive Iranic influence and sound transitions absent in East/West Baltic. Before that it wouldn't have been proto-Slavic, it would've been a Baltic predecessor dialect. But yes, it did have things in common with eg. modern Lithuanian that it doesn't with any of the modern Slavic.

**Wild North** · 08-30-2018, 03:00 PM

**Vlatko Vukovic** · 08-30-2018, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by GhostFromThePast

Not quite, because by definition (first language that can actually be called Slavic) proto-Slavic would have already undergone extensive Iranic influence and sound transitions absent in East/West Baltic. Before that it wouldn't have been proto-Slavic, it would've been a Baltic predecessor dialect. But yes, it did have things in common with eg. modern Lithuanian that it doesn't with any of the modern Slavic.

The Slavic dialect (from the hypotetical Balto-Slavic proto language) was always different from the West Baltic (Prussian) and the Eastern Baltic (Letto-Lithuanian). The first significant changes in the Slavic dialect of proto-Balto-Slavic language (in comparison to related East and West Baltic) was thought to be about 1000 BC, and this period of the Slavic could be called Early proto-Slavic. From the 1000th BC until the 1 AD should be called Middle proto-Slavic. And the last period (from which we have all modern Slavic languages) is from the 1 AD until 600 AD.

**Vlatko Vukovic** · 08-30-2018, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by GhostFromThePast

it would've been a Baltic predecessor dialect.

If you want to play with the terminology, then yes. Then the pre-Slavic would be alternativly called "Southern Baltic". But it is too artificial term (South Baltic) to be placed in any scientific work.

The simple answer is:

Proto-Balto-Slavic splitted into 3 branches (West Baltic, East Baltic and Slavic) which every of them had their way through history. The Slavic dialect evolved into another linguistic group and it would be fruitless to call it now (Southern Baltic) and proclaim that the Slavic was "the Baltic dialect", since, it would be all playing with the terminology.