Livonians

Livonians, the primitive inhabitants of Courland and of Livonia, to which they give their name. Their language and usages show that they are closely related to their eastern neighbours, the Esthonians, who are of Finnish stock and speech. Nearly all, however, are now absorbed in the surrounding German and Lithuanian populations, and at present the Livonian language is 6poken only by about 2,400 persons occupying a few hamlets at the north-west extremity of Courland. In Livonia it appears to have died out about the middle of the present century.