East Slavic languages
Overview
The East Slavic languages are a sub-group of the Slavic languages that are spoken primarily in Eastern Europe. This group includes Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian, as well as the extinct Old East Slavic language from which these three languages evolved. The East Slavic languages are part of the larger Indo-European language family, which also includes the West Slavic and South Slavic languages, among others.
History
The East Slavic languages have a rich history that dates back to the 9th century. They evolved from the Old East Slavic language, which was spoken by the East Slavs in the early Middle Ages. Old East Slavic was the language of the Kievan Rus', a federation of Slavic tribes that existed from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. The Kievan Rus' was the precursor to the modern nations of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and Old East Slavic was the basis for the modern East Slavic languages.
Classification
The East Slavic languages are classified as part of the Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. The Slavic languages are divided into three sub-groups: East Slavic, West Slavic, and South Slavic. The East Slavic sub-group includes Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian, as well as the extinct Old East Slavic language.
Characteristics
The East Slavic languages share many common characteristics. They have a highly inflected morphology, with a complex system of declensions for nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. They also have a rich system of verb conjugation, with different forms for tense, mood, aspect, voice, and person.
Russian Language
Russian is the most widely spoken of the East Slavic languages. It is the official language of Russia and is also widely spoken in many other countries of the former Soviet Union. Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Ukrainian Language
Ukrainian is the second most widely spoken East Slavic language. It is the official language of Ukraine and is also spoken by Ukrainian communities in other countries.
Belarusian Language
Belarusian is the third East Slavic language. It is the official language of Belarus, but is not as widely spoken as Russian in the country.