#learn Latvian

[felixcosm]

Say whatever you want about Dylan's Russian being rusty but WOE.BEGONE is like one of the only podcasts out there that has slavic characters that aren't the big bad villain.

[lookninjas]

So for those who've known me since we were all Glee blogs, you might remember that at one point, I did a fic based on the Persephone/Hades mythology (as one does). I then wrote another fic taking a slightly sideways view of that story that made it bleaker (as one does). Then they gave Blaine a brother and I wrote a version of the second story that incorporated a brother character and also started to interpolate some elements of the Orpheus myth (as one does). Then things started getting a little off the rails and I stopped putting things up on Ao3 because I could tell it had completely stopped being fic. But I kept going, because I was having fun and doing research and playing with the lovely interconnectedness of Greek mythology (did you know that there's versions of the quest for the golden fleece that have both Orpheus and Atalanta among the Argonauts?) and also exploring concepts that I find perenially fascinating, like death and family and love and how stories change in the telling and change over time. In the end, I wound up with seven stories that I thought were pretty good, and that I might want to do something with someday.

And then I didn't do anything.

For a long time.

I don't want to say how long, but if you go back to my Ao3 and find the word "Pomegranates" in the titles, you can figure it out.

I thought about doing something. I picked the stories up every so often, reread them. Went "Hey, that's good. I should do something with them." And then I didn't do anything. At one point, I had someone design a cover for the ebook version. I have no idea when I did it and have no idea where it is, but I know it happened and it was a cool cover and I'm very sorry I lost track of it (I did pay for it, at least). At another point, @seldnei did some beta work on one story. And then it just sat. And sat.

And then this past year I picked the stories back up for the umpteenth time, and I read them, and I cried because if you leave your work alone for long enough, the love comes back and you can cry over your own shit again (true story!).

And I made a decision: It was getting done. My one and only New Year's Resolution, 2025.

It's not even February.

I have no idea where we're going from here. Maybe some people will like it. Hopefully some people like it. Hopefully at least @seldnei likes it, but ideally some other people as well. (Maybe hopefully not too many people, but we'll see). But I put it out there. I have advertised it. People who know me in real life know I did this, which is a whole other ball of weird, but I did that. It's been done.

I did the damn thing.

And now I'm going to do my Latvian app, write a poem, and get three sentences in on the other story.

[upmala]

there was a post circulating recently asking which 5 languages you'd pick to be fluent in (in addition to the ones you already know), and i can't find the post, but i've been thinking:

- spanish: widespread and would open doors for me to visit places i wouldn't otherwise (like going on an exchange semester to Chile, for example!)

- arabic: i want to listen to storytellers and read medieval poetry. it sounds and looks wonderful.

- polish: i'm tired of the same old familiar consonants. i want to see what else is out there

- finnish: i want to speak it so well that i get a finnish accent in english, the second objectively cutest accent a person can sport (first place goes to estonia; but they are both quite similar)

- wildcard: open to suggestions

[bxrleskque]

Full Latvian-Resource Index

Been a while, but I'm picking up on Latvian so here is some resources I've collected :)

As many online latvian learning resources I could find. Thanks to Reddit r/latvia, r/learnlatvian and r/polyglot for most of the links on this list. That being said, I have not used all of these sites, but as someone who is weary of online webpages and downloading malicious links, I can tell you that as far as I know, everything is safe to use! (new list organization)

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

IndoLatvian

IrregularLatvian

LearnLatvian (and their wordpress)

APPS

Ling

Latvian Verbs

WEBSITES

maciunmacies.valoda.lv

elaipa.lv

letonika.lv

tezaurs.lv

LanguagePhrases

Ling Archives

Lingohut

Pinhok

OTHER

someone made a google drive of stuff.. I haven't looked through it but I'll link it here (update, the folders are empty.)

Declensions and Conjugations chart.. here

For sure more coming, but this is what I have right now.

[four-comma-five-verse]

Do you play any instruments? Does Līvzeme? If yes, do you like to play together? (and for her: did the others play?)

I - ... Who is this? How are you doing this? Or are there multiple yous? I can't really tell. ... There's no real harm in answering, I suppose.

I play all types of musical instruments. I sort of made it my goal to learn as much as I could. Since I have more time on this earth than most - humans - I guess? it feels weird calling them humans. A bit ostracizing.

So far I've bagged all of my national instruments. I don't really know what most of them are called in english though. Ē - the kokle, the āžrags, bundziņas - ē - drums! little drums! Yeah! Then the stabule, of course. Svilpe too. There's more, but it's hard to name them all on the top of my head. The violin and the accordion I've also got down to an art.

'Dzīvoš' ilgi, ne tik ilgi. Saules mūžu, nedzīvošu' y'know. I'm not living forever, so gotta make the best of it while I still can.

Paga! I think I've got a - yeah! A svilpaunieks! This is the first one I ever made - back when I was trying to connect with latgallians more! A svilpaunieks is the first thing a pottery student has to make in Latgale, so mines a bit ugly looking. Or I suppose I should say švilpaunieks since we are talking Latgale. I named this guy 'mazais Pēterītis' - 'mozeņais Pītereits'. Little Peter! Like Pētergailis!

I know that Līvzeme got really into the violin back in the 19th century! She's never really wanted to play together all that much, though. She's always happier playing or listening to a solo performance when it comes to the two of us. I've never asked why, but ... I can guess. Wait a moment - I'll go ask her about the music instruments - wait - are you constrained by space? Are you like a spirit who lives here in this room?

Can you hear me now? ... It feels like you still can. Anyway. I'll be a moment.

Ēdrõm! Balsis manā galvā jautā kādus muzikālos instrumentus tu spēlē! Vēl viņi prasa, ko mani senči spēlēja!

"...Mis?"

Tās balsis runā angļu valodā. Es nezinu, no kurienes viņas radās...Man ir bail.

"Engliškēļ? Mikš? ... Alright. English it will be, I suppose. I prefer singing to musical instruments, but you've seen me play the violin, I know you know this."

It's because of Nika Polmanis, right? The teacher, who insisted on educating your people despite those dumb ministers having a conniption over it? You were friends, I remember. He co-wrote the first books in livonian, didn't he?

"Why are you asking me these things, Raivi? Why are we speaking in english? What is this really about? I played with the others. You know I did... What's going on? What voices? What the hell are you actually talking about?"

[miltsuuna]

Does anyone have literally ANY resources for complete beginner Latvian? 🤝

(Preferably online for free!)

[unhonestlymirror]

Latvian notebooks 2023 VS Lithuanian notebooks 2023

[barbietoiles]

the fucking huh

[isthisabattleship]

Here's another song translation from the Latvian song festival. This one was much harder than yesterday's so I had to get a lot of help. Also theres a bit of feedback at the start so be ready for that.

Augšup dzīvība skan - Upward life rings out

No saknēm uz lapotni augšup dzīvības sulas līst. – From roots to foliage upward the juices of life rain. Pret gaismu un debesīm pavērstās brūces ātrāk dzīst. – Wounds turned toward the light and sky heal faster. Caur vēstures līkloču takām uz nākotni stundas mūs nes. - Through history’s winding paths hours carry us to the future. Un tieši šajā mirklī mēs apvienojam pasaules. – And in exactly that moment we bring together worlds.

Pa dzīslām uz sirdspukstiem augšup dzīvības sulas līst. – Through veins to heartbeats upward the juices of life rain. Kā trejdeviņi vairogi no krūtīm gaismas kūļi krīt. – Like three times nine shields from the chest beams of light fall. Pār rītdienas baiļu ēnām šis mirklis pārāks lai stāv, - Over tomorrow's shadows of fear let this moment stand stronger Jo pumpuri vaļā sprāgst lēnām, mazpamazām, līdz pamanām. – Because the buds sprout open slowly, gradually until we notice.

Augšup dzīvība skan! – Upward life rings! Kā sāpes uz laimi un upes uz jūru. – Like pain into joy and rivers to the sea. Sazaro, sakuplo, aplaimo, aizlido! – Branch out, grow up, make happy, fly away! Augšup, augšup, augšup! – Upward, upward, upward! Dzīvība skan! – Life rings!

Caur čukstiem uz dziesmu dzīvības sulas līst. – Through whispers to song the juices of life rain Divās rokās trīc mūsu ieelpa trausla, viegli gaistoša. – In two hands our fragile breath trembles, easily evaporating. Līdz lido pār priežu galotnēm un lejup krītot dvēseli skar. – Until it flies over pine treetops and touches souls while falling. To tikai dzīvība var, tikai dzīvība var, kas augšup pret debesīm skan. – Only life can do it, only life can, which rings upwards against the sky.

Augšup dzīvība skan! – Upward life rings! Kā sāpes uz laimi un upes uz jūru. – Like pain into joy and rivers to the sea. Sazaro, sakuplo, aplaimo, aizlido! – Branch out, grow up, make happy, fly away! Augšup, augšup, augšup! – Upward, upward, upward! Dzīvība skan! – Life rings!

[lookninjas]

33.

we survived all of it in the end but Lord what a fucking mess we still are

[kazhanko-art]

there was an in hindsight sorta odd period of my life where I was a weeb, except I was whatever the equivalent is for Latvia

[keirou-kun]

I love a good mewral :D

Latvians, why wasn't I informed about this? Why would you keep this important information to yourself???

[bonehilda-deactivated]

Would. Would my mother allow me to go to Latvia alone? She's allowed me to visit tallinn and jõgeva alone before. What's so different about Valmiera?

[four-comma-five-verse]

Ar moki kalbėti lietuviškai? Labai puikiai lyviškai, matau.. o kaip su vokiečių? Ar tavo "seniesiems" teko to išmokti, ar tai persidavė tau?

...gali atsakyti latviškai, žinoma. Linkėjimai!

... Ak Dies' .... Balsis manā galvā - jūs zināt lietuviešu valodu?

Braļukas! Brāļu mīļo valodiņa! Lietuviškai! Protams, ka es viņu pārzinu! Es jau sen saku Lietuvai - mēs viens otra valodas tak zinām, tādēļ - tu runā lietuviski, es latviski - tā dzīvojam laimīgi bez nekādas 'tiltu valodas'. Igauniju un Līvzemi šajā paktā arī esmu ievilcis!

Ko Jūs tur gribējāt zināt - ā ... jā. Vācu valoda. Nu maniem 'senčiem' - ja tā var teikt - maniem tēvutēviem vācu valoda bija uzspiesta lieta. Marija - tas ir Livonijas Konfederācija - Terra Mariana - tā sauktā Māras zeme - bija ļoti ... prasīga. Viņa protams pieprasīja, ka mani senči ar viņu tikai vāciski runā. Daži no viņiem bija spītīgāki par pārējiem šajā jautājumā.

Bet man? Man vācu valodas zināšanas nāca mazāk no senčiem un vairāk no vācbaltiešiem. No senčiem man maz kas, valodu ziņā, ir aizķēries.

Vācbaltiešu nebija daudz, bet līdz pat otrajam pasaules kara priekšvakaram, kad viņus visus aizsauca uz Vāciju, viņi bija dikti vareni. Tādēļ arī vācu valoda bija man aizķērusies kaut kur jau no 'dzimšanas'.

... Ja godīgi, ja man būtu izvēlē, es labāk izvēlētos ar veco senajām valodām ausīs piedzimt, nevis vācu. Vācu es kaut kā tomēr būtu iemācījies...