Sorbian
/ˈsɔːr.bi.ən/noun
Relating to the Sorbs or to their West Slavic languages spoken mainly in eastern Germany.
Did you know?Sorbian is not one language but a group traditionally divided into Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian, both endangered West Slavic languages with official recognition in parts of Germany.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*Sьrbъ
“Reconstructed ethnonym associated with the Sorbs and possibly related to the name Serb; the deeper origin remains uncertain.”
6th–7th Century
Latin
Surbi / Sorabi
“Medieval Latin names for the West Slavic people who settled in areas east of the Elbe.”
9th Century
Old High German
Surbi / Sorabi
“German historical references to the Sorbian Slavic peoples and their territories.”
Middle Ages
German
Sorben / sorbisch
“The Sorbs and things belonging to them; the German forms influenced later English usage.”
19th Century
English
Sorbian
“English adjective and noun referring to the Sorbs, their culture, or their West Slavic languages.”
Modern English
English
Sorbian
“Relating to Upper or Lower Sorbian, or to the Sorbian people of Germany.”