Latvian language resources – Language Links Database
Latvian – is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.2 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and 100 thousand abroad. Altogether, 1.9 million, or 79% of the population of Latvia, speak Latvian. Of those, 1.75 million use it as their primary language at home. The use of the Latvian language in various areas of social life in Latvia is increasing.
More information: Wikipedia
Native speakers: unknown (undated figure of 1.75 million)
Official language in: Latvia, European Union
Latvian Grammar and Pronunciation
- LatvianStuff.com - The Latvian Alphabet, Pronunciation: Hints and Rules, Historical Relationships to other Languages, Parts of Speech: Nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc., Sentences: Statements, questions, etc., Latvian Language Lessons: Learn to speak Latvian, Appendices: miscellaneous information on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabular.
- Learnlatvian.org - Language lessons and vocabulary
- Learn101 - All the lessons contain audio and are all offered for free. We will learn the alphabet together. We will also review some simple grammar rules, practice common phrases, and we will have fun memorizing many important vocabulary lists.
- MyLanguages - Courses about adjectives, adverbs, articles, gender (feminine, masculine…), negation, nouns, numbers, phrases, plural, prepositions, pronouns, questions, verbs, vocabulary, excercises
- ILanguages - This site is designed to teach you and help you learn Latvian for free through vocabulary, phrases, grammar and flashcards (vocabulary trainer)
- Hello-World - Language lessons for children. More than 300 FREE Latvian games and activities
- Valoda.ailab.lv - Grammar in English and Latvian
- Archive.org - Grammar & basic vocabulary
- Utexas.edu - Extensive Latvian Grammar
- Pinterest - Latvian language lessons and vocabulary
- Wikipedia - Latvian grammar
- Learnlatvian.info - 12 lessons and exercises
Digitized Grammar Books
- Eric.ed.gov Latvian Language Competencies for Peace Corps Volunteers in the Republic of Latvia (1992), 147 pages (pdf). This guide is designed for Latvian language training of Peace Corps workers in Latvia, is intended for use in a competency-based language training program, and reflects daily communication needs in that context.
- Archive.org Latvian self-taught for English speaking people by Ojārs Krātiņš (~1963)
- Google Books Colloquial Latvian: The Complete Course for Beginners (1996)(view only)
- Google Books Colloquial Latvian: The Complete Course for Beginners by Dace Praulinš, Christopher Moseley (2012)(view only
- Google Books Complete Latvian: Teach Yourself by Tereza Svilane (2012)(view only)
- Google Books A Grammar of Modern Latvian by Trevor G. Fennell,Henry Gelsen (1980)(view only)
Latvian Vocabulary
- Dicts.info - English to Latvian basic vocabulary
- Dicts.info - Vocabulary trainer
- Dicts.info - Flashcards
- Wiktionary - A 207-word frequency list
- TravLang - Vocabulary for travelers
- Latvian.letton.free.fr - Thematic vocabulary (on the left)
- DigitalDialects - Language learning games
- Uebersetzung.at - Tongue twisters
- SurfaceLanguages Learn thematic phrases – these cover a wide variety of topics, including the numbers, days of the week, greetings and the months. The phrases have audio recorded by a native speaker.
- Loecsen.com - Basic words and useful phrases you will need for your trip (with pdf and audio)
- MasterAnyLanguage - Flashcards for learners of all levels
- Cram.com - Hundreds of flashcards
- Quizlet.com - Lessons and hundreds of flashcards
Vocabulary-related (and digitized) E-books
- Celotajs.lv A small phrasebook, 10 pages (pdf)
- Google Books Latvian vocabulary for English speakers – 3000 words by Andrey Taranov (2013)(view only)
Latvian Reading Materials
- ThePaperBoy - A list of over 50 newspapers
- Abyznewslinks.com - A list of over 30 newspapers
- Wikipedia A list of regional and national newspapers
- Wikipedia - Latvian version of Wikipedia
Latvian Dictionaries
- http://www.dicts.info/dictionary
- https://translate.google.co.uk/#en/lv/
- http://www.dicts.info/ - picture dictionary
- http://www.letonika.lv/
- http://corpora.informatik.uni-leipzig.de/
- http://www.acl.lv/en/
- http://dictionary.site.lv/
- http://tilde.lv/tulkotajs
Digitized Dictionaries
- Google Books Latvian-English Dictionary, Tom 2 (2008)(view only)
Latvian Listening and Video Resources
PODCASTS / AUDIOBOOKS
- Forvo - Over 10000 words pronounced by native-speakers
- Pasakas.net - Some fairy tales with text and audio
TV / VIDEO / MOVIES
- MyEasyTV - A List Of 9 TV Stations
- SquidTV - A List Of 13 TV Stations
- Valoda.ailab.lv - Interactive video lessons in easy to understand Latvian
- Reddit - A List Of Latvian Movies (with links)
- YouTube - A List Of YT Video Lessons
RADIO
- Rad.io - a list of over 20 radio stations
- ListenLive.eu - A list of over 35 radio stations
MUSIC
- MamaLisa - Kid Songs and Rhymes
Latvian In Other Languages
- Users.belgacom.net French-Latvian thematic vocabulary
- Archive.org Latvian-German dictionary by Carl Christian Ahlmann (1872)
- Genling.nw.ru Latvian Grammar (in Latvian)
- Archive.org Lettische grammatik by Jānis Endzelīns (1923)
- Archive.org Lettisches Lesebuch, grammatische und metrische Vorbemerkungen ; texte und Glossar by August Bielenstein (1922)
- Google Books Die Elemente der lettischen Sprache by August Bielenstein (1866)
- Google Books Handbuch der lettische Sprache by August Bielenstein (1863)
- Archive.org Die lettische Sprache nach ihren Lauten und Formen by August Bielenstein (1972)
- Google Books Lettische Grammatik by Gotthard Friedrich Stender (1783)
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