The Belarusian language is the language of the Slavic group. It belongs to the East Slavic languages, which also include Russian and Ukrainian. The official status is assigned to the Belarusian in the Republic of Belarus, where it is state -owned along with the Russian. Due to its distribution, the Belarusian language partially in Poland has, according to data from various sources, from four to seven million people.
The beginning of its Belarusian language takes in the Pre -Slavic language. For a long time, the Belarusian language developed on the basis of various dialects, including the dialects of Ancient Russia: the dialect of the Smolensk and Polotsk Krivichi, the dialects of the Dregovichi and the Radimic. Some scientists also attribute the dialect of northerners to the listed dialects. In the process of its development, the Belarusian language became quite significant and full -fledged, which allowed him to take a leading position in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here the Belarusian language was recognized as the state language and performed its functions until the Union with the Commonwealth, where it lost its dominant position. But in the period from the 13th to the 16th century, the Belarusian language was widely used both in everyday life and in legal proceedings, business correspondence, the creation of literary works that were translated from Belarusian into other languages, the compilation of historically significant documents, including for compiling annals.
After the active intervention of the Polish language in the public sphere of relations, the Belarusian language goes into an illegal position and becomes the language of communication for the peasants and the source of many fake pearls. The restoration of the significance and popularity of the Belarusian language began only in the 19th century, and it received official recognition only after 1917. Although after that, in the course of the total Russification, the Belarusian language again lost some ground.