Latgalians
Latgalians, sometimes also Ancient Latvians (Latin: Lethi, Letthigalli, Low German: Letti, Lethi, modern Latvian: latgaļi, letgaļi, leti, variant translations also include Latgallians, Lettigalls or Lettigallians) were an ancient Baltic tribe.
They likely spoke the Latvian language, which probably became the lingua franca in present-day Latvia during the Northern Crusades due to their alliance with the crusaders. Latgalians later assimilated the neighboring tribes, forming the core of modern Latvians.
History
The Latgalians were an Eastern Baltic tribe whose origin is little known. In the 5th and 6th centuries they lived in the eastern part of present-day Vidzeme (westwards from the Aiviekste River), and later on in nearly all the territory of that region. In written sources they are mentioned from the 11th century. In the first two decades of the 13th century the (Western) Latgalians allied with German (mainly Saxon) crusaders. Their lands (Eldership of Tālava, Principality of Jersika, Principality of Koknese) as vassal states were incorporated into Livonia.
Latgalians (modern)
This article is about modern ethnic group of Latvians inhabiting or coming from Latgale. For ancient Baltic people see Latgalians.
The Latgalians (Latvian: latgalieši, latgalīši) are the ethnic Latvians of Latgale, who speak a distinct dialect of Latvian and share a common culture that sets them apart from other Latvians.
Name
In the Latgalian language, the terms latgalīši and latgaļi have been traditionally used as synonyms describing both ancient and contemporary Latgalians as a part of the same continuum. The term latgalīši (in both meanings) prevailed in Latgalian literature and mass media during the first decades of the 20th century, whereas the term latgali has been consistently used (also in both meanings) in Latgalian literature and media published during the 1920s and 1930s in Latvia and from 1940 to 1988 in exile. Since the cultural revival of Latgalians in 1988, there is a tendency in Latgalian literature and media to follow Latvians in their use of both names.
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