The following is a list of ancient Baltic peoples and tribes.
Background This is a list of the ancient Baltic peoples and tribes. They spoke the Baltic languages (members of the broader Balto-Slavic), a branch of the Indo-European language family, which was originally spoken by tribes living in area east of Jutland peninsula, southern Baltic Sea coast in the west and Moscow, Oka and Volga rivers basins in the east, to the northwest of the Eurasian steppe. Modern descendants are the Lithuanians and Latvians (they themselves assimilated other related Baltic tribes).
List of ancient Baltic peoples and tribes (table)
Groups Peoples / Nations Tribes Languages Land / Region / Localities Eastern Balts† Dniepr Balts Neuri? (mentioned by Herodotus; possibly a Baltic or Slavic tribe) Unknown Dnieper basin (north of the Pontic Eurasian steppe) Oka Balts Eastern Galindians Unknown Upper courses of the Dniepr and Oka rivers basins, including Moscow region Eastern (Middle) Balts Latvians (Latvieši) Latgalians (Latgaļi) Old Latgalian Latvia, Latgalia (Latgola) — Adzele, Gersika or Jersika (Alene, Autine, Casvaine, Ērgļi, Gerdene, Jersika Proper, Lerene, Mārksne, Negeste, Osota, Preiļi), Kūknuojs and Eastern Vāina, Lotygola or Latgalia Proper (Īdeņa, Ludza, Rēzne, Varka), Pītuolova (Ābelene, Abrene, Bērzene, Purnava) and Tuolova or Tālava (Gulbene, Imera, Piebalga, Smiltene, Trikāta and Idumaa and Vendi) Lithuanians (Lietuviai) Old Lithuanians (Senlietuviai) Old Lithuanian Eastern Lithuania — Deltuva, Deremela, Lietuva, NalšiaAustechia or Central Lithuania (Aukštaitija) — Neris, Upytė Samogitians (Žemaitē) Old Samogitian Samogitia (Žemaitija) — Gaižuva, Karšuva, Knituva, Kulenė, Milžava, Šiauliai (Šiaulių Žemė), Medininkai and Upytė (Upytės Žemė) Prussian Lithuanians (Lietuvininkai) Old Lithuanian Lithuania Minor (Mažoji Lietuva) Transitional Balts†Bojtár page 207. Curonians Curonian Curonia or Courland (Kurzeme, Kursa) — Bandava, Ceklis, Curonian Spit (Kuršu kāpas) and Vistula Spit, Duvzare, Megava, Piemare, Pīlsats, Vanema or Miera Kursa, Ventava Selonians Selonian Selonia (Sēlija) — Alektene, Kalvene, Maleisine, Medene, , Tovrakste Semigallians Semigallian Semigalia (Zemgale) — Dobele or Duobele, Dobene or Duobe, Guosta Galis, Mežotne, Nogailene, Plāne, Putelene, Sidabre, Silene, Šiurpe, Spārnene, Tērvete, Upmale, Žagare Western Balts† Yotvingians Yotvingian Yotvingia — Dainava or Dzukija, Jotva or Yotva, Paleksija or Palenke and Sudovia (Sūdava) Prussians (Prūsai) Scalovians Scalovian Scalovia and Lamata Bartians Prussian Bartia Lubavians Prussian Lubavia Nadruvians Prussian Nadruvia Natangians Prussian Natangia Pogesanians Prussian Pogesania Pomesanians Prussian Pomesania and Kulmerland Sambians Prussian Sambia Sasnans Prussian Sasna Warmians or Varmians Prussian Warmia Western Galindians Galindian Galindia (Western) Pomeranian Balts Unknown Unknown Pomerania †Extinct
Ancestors
Proto-Indo-Europeans (Proto-Indo-European speakers) Proto-Balto-Slavs (common ancestors of Balts and Slavs) (Proto-Balto-Slavic speakers) Proto-Balts (Proto-Baltic speakers) List of Ancient Baltic peoples and tribes (kinship tree)
Balts Eastern Balts Eastern Galindians Eastern (Middle) Balts Latgalians (Latgaļi / Letgaļi / Leti) (they lived in Latgalia — Latgola) Latvians (they were formed by the merger of Latgalians, as the main component, with the Selonians, Semigallians, Curonians and Livonians, the last ones are a Finnic people and not an Indo-European one) (they live in Latvia) Transitional Balts (between Latgalians and Lithuanians) Selonians (they lived in Selonia — Sēlija) Semigallians (they lived in Semigallia — Zemgale) Curonians (they lived in Curonia or Courland) Curonian Kings (Kuršu Koniņi) (a distinct Latvian cultural group of Curonian ancestry) (they live in seven villages between Kuldīga and Aizpute in Courland) Kursenieki (although they adopted a Latvian dialect, with Curonian substrate, they keep a distinct Curonian ethnic identity and name) (they lived in the Curonian and Vistula Spits) Lithuanians (Senlietuviai) (they lived in Eastern Lithuania, later expanding westward into Samogitian territory and forming a separate cultural group — the Aukštaitians) Samogitians (Žemaitē) (they lived in Samogitia, might have been a distinct Baltic tribe) Prussian Lithuanians or Small Lithuanians (Lietuvininkai) (they lived in Lithuania Minor, northeastern Prussia) Western Balts Scalovians (Skallawai) (they lived in Scalovia — Skallawa) Prussians (Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians) (Prūsai) (they lived in Prussia, Old Prussia or Baltic Prussia) Bartians (Bartai) (they lived in Bartia — Barta) Lubavians (Lubawai) (they lived in Lubavia — Lūbawa) Nadruvians (Nadrāuwai) (they lived in Nadruvia — Nadrāuwa) Natangians (Natangai or Notangiai) (they lived in Natangia — Nātanga or Notangi) Pogesanians (Paguddiai) (they lived in Pogesania — Paguddi) Pomesanians (Pameddiai) (they lived in Pomesania — Pameddi) Sambians (Sembai) (they lived in Sambia — Semba) Sasnans (Sasnai) (they lived in Sasna) Warmians (Wārmiai) (they lived in Warmia — Wārmi) Western Galindians (Galindai) (they lived in Western Galindia — Galinda) Yotvingians (they lived in Yotvingia)
Hypothetical Ancient Baltic peoples and tribes Eastern Balts Dniepr-Oka Balts Dniepr Balts Oka Balts Western Balts Pomeranian Balts
Possible Balts Balts or Slavs Neuri / Navari (a people mentioned by Herodotus) Balts, Slavs or Uralics Budini
Notes
External links E-book of the original.