Both Baltic languages sounds totally different.

Thomas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:58 pm GMT
Hi alltogather! Couple of weeks ago I visited wonderfull Baltic states Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Vilniuss). I should mention, that Latvian and Lithuanian sounds TOTALLY different despite of fact that both languages belong to the Baltic branch. Guys, I hope I'll will nobody insult, but Latvian sounds like a Scandinavian languge (for instance, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish) but Lithuanian to my ears sounds like a Slavic language...does Lithuanian has a strong Polish influence??? Any comments????
Ian   Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:23 pm GMT
Hello!

I haven't heard much Lithuanian, but I've heard Latvian a lot, and that was also my impression.
They sound totally different.

This happens among many related languages. E.g. even though written Spanish and Portuguese are quite similar, Spanish sounds very much like Greek, while European Portuguese is a strong reminiscence of Russian. If you think Lithuanian sounds like Russian, then Portuguese sounds probably similar to you.
The same goes with Indonesian and Malaysian which are almost identical, but sound quite different.

Btw, I love the way Latvian sounds, with its singsong intonation, and because it generally contains more vowels, at least in its pronunciation.
Thomas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:33 pm GMT
I agree, Portugeusse sounds similar like Russian, but Spanish like Greek.

And it's true, Latvian has beautifull singsong intonation, and stress on first syllabus always, like Estonian and Finnish.

I Love Latvian language!!!
K. T.   Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:53 pm GMT
Thomas,

What is your first language? I don't want to discourage you from using English, but we don't use "Hi alltogather!" as a greeting in English.

"Hello" or "Hi" would work, but many people don't even use these greetings here.
K. T.   Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:57 pm GMT
Modern spoken Greek reminds me of Spanish too. This was discussed not too long ago. It sounds like Spanish somehow, but I can't understand it.

I think the "zh" sound is what makes Portuguese and Russian sound a tiny bit alike.
Guest   Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:29 pm GMT
Portuguese is similar to French. They both have nasal vowels and the uvular r.
Thomas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:35 pm GMT
I am German!
Thomas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:37 pm GMT
We Germans say: Hallo zusammen! :)
Guest   Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:40 pm GMT
Spanish sounds similar to Classical Greek.
K. T.   Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:06 pm GMT
TY, Thomas. I thought that was probably the case, but...

Let's recap: You like Lativian (it sounds Scandinavian-like to you)...
You think Lithuanian sounds Slavic (and it's not exactly your cup of tea);
specifically you wonder if it has been influenced by Polish.

Can any of the linguists here help him out?
Labas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:40 pm GMT
I suppose the difference in sounds (among other things) are shaped by their divergent histories. Latvian and Lithuanian emerged as distinct languages (as opposed to dialects of the same Baltic language) around the 16th century after several centuries under foreign influences.

In the 12th/13th Centuries, Lithuania formed part the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which grew to include Belarus, Ukraine, Transnistria, and parts of Russia and Poland. In the 14th century the Grand Duchy joined in personal union with the Kingdom of Poland under the Jagiellon dynasty, eventually becoming the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 16th to 18th centuries. Slavs formed the majority in the Grand Duchy and the official written languages were Ruthenian and Latin (when communicating with the West), until the late 17th century when Polish replaced Ruthenian.

Latvia (along with Finnic-speaking Estonia), was part of the German-controlled Livonian Confederation from the 13th to mid-16th centuries. After the Livonian War (1558-1583), the Confederation was divided and split, with present-day Latvia falling under Polish-Lithuanian rule. But by the early 17th century, most of Latvia (including Riga) was conquered by Sweden over the course of the Polish-Swedish Wars, and formed part of Swedish Livonia, until the Great Northern War (1700-21) ended Sweden's dominance in the region. Under Swedish rule, a network of schools were established to educate the local peasantry.
Labas   Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:44 pm GMT
>>but Latvian sounds like a Scandinavian languge (for instance, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish)<<

By the way, Finnish and Estonian are not Scandinavian languages.
Guest   Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:23 pm GMT
Before you say that European Portuguese and Russian sound similar please start learn them and then write messages in this forum
Ian   Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:49 pm GMT
<< Before you say that European Portuguese and Russian sound similar please start learn them and then write messages in this forum >>

No. Exactly if you haven't learned them will you agree that they sound similar. Because you only perceive the way they sound.
Guest   Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:53 pm GMT
I dont' speak Portuguese . I understand some Portuguese because I speak a Romance language but I don't find Portuguese and Russian to sound similar. I think that before comparing how two languages sound, one must clean his ears so he can perceive the sound clearer.