Sorbian languages

The Sorbian and Lusatian languages are members of the West Slavic branch of languages spoken in eastern Germany. They are also known as Wendish. Their collective ISO 639-2 code is wen.

There are two languages - Upper Sorbian (hornjoserbsce) spoken in Saxony and Lower Sorbian (dolnoserbski) spoken in Brandenburg. This area is known as Lusatia (Łužica or Lausitz in German).

Both languages have dual grammatical number. This is used when exactly two people or things are meant and is addition to singular and plural.

In Germany they are officially recognized and protected as minority languages.

The city of Bautzen near Dresden is a centre of Upper Sorbian culture. Notable is the fact that bilingual signs can be seen around the city including the name of the city itself at the railway station given as 'Bautzen/Budysyn'.

Sorbian is also spoken in a small Wendish settlement in Lee County, Texas, and until recently newspapers were published in Wendish there. It has been heavily influenced by surrounding speakers of German and English.

See also: Sorbs, Wends, Slovene language, Czestochowa