Baltic German
Baltic German (German: Baltendeutsch or Baltisches Deutsch; Latvian: Baltijas vācu valoda) refers to a variety of German sociolects spoken by German settlers in Latvia and Estonia before World War II. Due to centuries of contact with neighbouring peoples, Baltic German phonology, lexicon, and syntax has been influenced by Latvian, Estonian, Russian, and to a lesser extent Swedish. The designation Baltisches Deutsch applies to the present-day territories of Estonia and Latvia (excluding Latgale), and covers the historic Baltic provinces of Russian Empire.