Votic (Vadjaa tšeeli)

Votic or Votian is part of the Balto-Finnic subgroup of Finno-Ugric languages and is closely related to Estonian. It is spoken in Krakolye and Luzhitsy, two villages in the Kingisepp district of St. Petersburg, Russia, by about 20 people, all of whom are elderly.

Efforts are currently being made to revive Votic with some lessons in the language a one school. It appears that most younger Votes are not all that interested in the language though.

Votic alphabet

There is no standardised writing system for Votic. The system below was developed by Ferenc Válóczy.

Cyrillic alphabet for Votic

Source: http://www.geocities.com/uralica/orth.html

Votic pronunciation

Notes

Some consonants are palatalized when they come before e, i, j and ü
Letters in blue are only used in names and foreign loanwords.

Information about the Latin alphabet for Livonian compiled by Wolfram Siegel.

Sample text in Votic

Исун теекырвылл
Ајаја вајылтыб веероа.
Ен тахо ылла сиинэ, кусса тулын.
Ен тахо ылла сиинэ, кухыы менен.
Михси терпитөисси
Нэен тэмээ вајылтыттава веероа?

a poem entitled "Вееровајылтамин (Бертолт Брехт)" from: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3259/stjiho.html

Links

Information about the Votic language and people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Votic_language
http://www.tooyoo.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/Russia/Votian/Votian1.html
http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/votes.shtml

Related languages

Erzya, Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Karelian, Khanty, Komi, Livonian, Mansi, Mari, Moksha, Saami, Udmurt, Võro, Votic

Other languages written with the Latin alphabet