Operacje na zbiorach słów jako sposób na określenie skali podobieństwa pomiędzy pokrewnymi językami (na przykładzie języków dolnołużyckiego i polskiego)

Abstract

Working on Sets of Words as a Means of Determining the Scale of Similarity between Related Languages (Using the Example of Lower Sorbian and Polish)

Slavonic languages, compared with other Indo-European languages, exhibit a high level of similarity, characterized by, for example, common vocabularies. The similarity between two of their representatives varies and depends on the mutual relations that have occurred over the centuries. Using literary texts as source material, this paper analyzes lexical similarities and differences between Lower Sorbian and Polish. It focuses on identical and similar word spellings, and considers the specific features of both languages, while allowing for certain recurring differences. This research utilizes the method of lexical comparison based on the Levenshtein distances, which allow for an assessment of the degree of lexical similarity. The analysis was conducted using the text of “The Little Prince” as its basis, which has been translated from French into both the languages being compared. It considers both cases of identical spelling and allows for certain predeter­mined differences in spelling.