Language

Language is one of the determining factors of national identity. The Latvian language is one of only two in the Baltic language group, the oth being Lithuanian. It has many features in common with the ancient Indo-European family of languages, and the earliest surviving written examples are from the 16th century. The Latvian language has developed a rich lexicology, standardized grammar and now meets all the needs of a modern society. However, over the half-century of Soviet occupation, and the strenuous Russification policy, whereby now only less than a quater of non-Latvians living in this country speak the language, according to linguists, the Latvian language had reached the second stage of language extinction. In the second period of national awakening in the late 1980's, the fight for the survival of the Latvian language was a rallying point for many in the country, and in a petition, 354,000 residents (Latvians andnon-Latvians) demanded that Latvian be once again officially named the state language. On October 6, 1988, while Latvia was still an illegally annexed republic of the USSR, Latvian was declared the state language and on May 5, 1989 the Language law was passed. So as not to become a traumatizing factor for non-Latvian speaking residents, almost 670,000 of whom had been settled in Latvia as a result of Soviet Russification policies, the implementation of the Law was gradual, with all articles only coming into force after May 5, 1992. The Language Centre of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia was founded in 1992, and includes the Principal Certification Commission and State Language Inspection service. Although a decisive historical shift to the acceptance of Latvian as the state language is well underway, the situation is still precarious, but at least the threat of extinction of the Latvian language is reciding.