Latvian
/ˈlæt.vi.ən/noun
Relating to Latvia, its people, or their language.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from the ancient Baltic tribe known as the Latgalians, whose ethnonym was preserved and reshaped through medieval Latin and German records before becoming the modern national name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient/Proto-Baltic
Baltic
[31m?
“An early tribal name associated with the ancestors of the Latvians; the exact prehistory is not fully certain.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Letthia / Lettia
“A Latinized name for the region or people of Latvia.”
Middle Low German
German
Lettisch
“Referring to the people or language of the eastern Baltic region.”
19th Century
English
Latvian
“Pertaining to Latvia or its inhabitants.”
Modern English
English
Latvian
“A person from Latvia, or the Baltic language spoken there.”