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How were the original Prussians related to Lithuanians and Latvians?

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Historical map showing the unification of Germany by Prussia in the late 19th century. The map highlights in green the Kingdom of Prussia as of 1866, and in yellow the additional territories that formed the German Empire by 1871-1918, encompassing most of north-central Europe. Neighboring countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Switzerland are labeled, with major regions and states within the empire clearly marked. — Prussia The unification of Germany by Prussia, which brought most of north-central Europe into one kingdom.

The original Prussians were members of the Baltic group of the Indo-European language family, sharing a common ancestral heritage with the Lithuanians and Latvians.12

Linguistically and ethnically, scholars classify the Prussians and the closely related Yotvingians as "Western Balts," distinguishing them from the "Eastern Balts," which include Lithuanians, Latvians, and other groups such as the Curonians, Semigallians, and Selonians. While all these groups share a common origin, the Old Prussian language retained more archaic features than either Lithuanian or Latvian. For example, unlike its eastern relatives, Old Prussian preserved a substantive neuter gender and did not shift certain consonant clusters in the same manner as Lithuanian and Latvian.34

Despite these linguistic differences, the groups were historically linked by their shared Baltic identity, geography, and traditional ways of life as agriculturists and cattle breeders. While Lithuanians and Latvians maintained their national identities, the Prussians were gradually conquered by the Teutonic Order in the 13th century and were eventually assimilated into the German population by the early 18th century.1253