This year, the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest featured a record breaking twenty languages. Eurovision Ireland will be looking at all the languages that have been performed at the Contest, since 1956, in our latest #AtoZ. Today, we continue the series with Lithuanian Sign Language, Luxembourgish and Macedonian.

Lithuanian Sign Language

Lithuanian Sign Language is the national sign language used in Lithuania, with several regional variants. Very little is known about its history before 1945. From 1945 to 1990 it was used along with Russian Sign Language and the two sign languages became very similar. Russian lip-patterns used with some LGK signs indicate that the sign may have been originally borrowed from Russian Sign Language. When Lithuania became independent, its contacts with Russian Sign Language were almost cut off, and now it is developing as an independent language, with some influence from international signs.

Lithuanian Sign Language appeared in full, within “C’est ma vie”, the Lithuanian entry for the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. Evelina Sašenko performed “C’est ma vie”, finishing in 19th place with 63 points.

Luxembourgish

Luxembourgish is a West Germanic language that is spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 400,000 people speak Luxembourgish worldwide.

Luxembourgish appeared in full, within “So laang we’s du do bast”, the Luxembourgish entry for the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest. Camillo Felgen performed “So laang we’s du do bast”, finishing in 13th place with 1 point.

Macedonian

Macedonian is an Eastern South Slavic language. It is part of the Indo-European language family, and is one of the Slavic languages, which are part of a larger Balto-Slavic branch. Spoken as a first language by around 1.6 million people, it serves as the official language of North Macedonia. Most speakers can be found in the country and its diaspora, with a smaller number of speakers throughout the transnational region of Macedonia. Macedonian is also a recognised minority language in parts of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, and Serbia and it is spoken by expatriate communities predominantly in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Macedonian appeared in full, within “Ne zori, zoro”, the North Macedonian entry for the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest. Vlado Janevski performed “Ne zori, zoro”, finishing in 19th place with 16 points.

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The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovision Ireland, Wikipedia & YouTube/EBU/ESC:56-73/escLIVEmusic1