Ingrian language facts for kids

Ingrian, also called Izhorian, is a Finnic language spoken in Ingria, a region of Russia on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is almost extinct, as it only has about 142 native speakers left. Most of these are elderly.

The Ingrian language is closely related with the eastern Finnish dialects, and there have also been numerous contacts with the neighbouring Votes and Finns. These contacts resulted in mutual influences. Since the 1930s Ingrian has also been significantly influenced by Russian in terms of vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.

Between 1932 and 1937 a spelling system for Ingrian based on the Latin alphabet was used. A number of textbooks and a grammar were published, and the language was taught in schools on the Soikono Peninsula and around the mouth of the Luda River. From 1937, however, writing in Ingrian was forbidden and the Ingrian or Izhorian people, along with many other peoples, suffered mass repression.

See also

In Spanish: Idioma ingrio para niños