Sorbian
languages
also called Lusatian,
or Wendish, closely related West Slavic languages or dialects; their
small number of speakers in eastern Germany are the survivors of a more
extensive medieval language group. The centre of the Upper Sorbian speech area
is Bautzen, near the border with the Czech Republic, while Cottbus, near Poland,
is the centre for Lower Sorbian. The oldest written record of Sorbian dates from
the 15th century, although the languages, differing mostly in their sound
systems, are known to have begun to diverge around the 13th century. Upper
Sorbian enjoyed a considerable amount of prestige in Saxony, while the kingdom
of Prussia attempted to suppress Lower Sorbian. Although all Sorbs today also
speak German, both Upper and Lower Sorbian have been taught in the schools of
the Sorbian areas since 1948.