The sub-dialects of South-Western Kurzeme from a historical perspective

Abstract This article analyses sub-dialects of the South-Western Kurzeme region in Latvia. The focus is on the most prominent phonetic, morphological and lexical features of these sub-dialects, and their usage in the 21st century. The sub-dialects of South-Western Kurzeme have many characteristic features found in their phonetics and morphology. In the South-Western Kurzeme sub-dialects, there are native lexemes – words from the ancient Curonian language and also borrowed lexemes, as language contact has been an ongoing fact of life in South-Western Kurzeme. This region has been influenced by several languages – both neighbouring and more distant.