The Ingrian language (also called Izhorian) is a Finnic language spoken by the (mainly orthodox) Izhorians of Ingria. It has approximately 500 speakers left, most of whom are aging. It should not be confused with the Southeastern dialects of the Finnish language that became the majority language of Ingria in the 17th century with the influx of Lutheran Finnish immigrants (whose descendants, Ingrian Finns, are often referred to as Ingerians). The immigration of Lutheran Finns was promoted by Swedish authorities (who gained the area in 1617 from Russia), as the local population was (and remained) orthodox.
Famous quotes containing the word language:
“There is no such thing as a language, not if a language is anything like what many philosophers and linguists have supposed. There is therefore no such thing to be learned, mastered, or born with. We must give up the idea of a clearly defined shared structure which language-users acquire and then apply to cases.”
—Donald Davidson (b. 1917)