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The Polabian language was an extinct West Slavic language spoken by the Polabians, a Slavic people who formerly lived in the Elbe River basin and along the Baltic coast of Germany. Their name, derived from po and Laba, means "along the Elbe".123

The Polabian language is part of the Lekhitic group of West Slavic languages, which also includes Polish and Kashubian. The Polabians were organized into confederations but were gradually Germanized and subjugated by Germans between the 12th and 13th centuries. The language persisted until the 17th or 18th century, with some sources indicating survival into the early 19th century. A dictionary and some phrases in the language exist.23

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. Polabian
  2. Lekhitic languages
  3. Polab

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