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Between the mid-14th and the late 18th centuries, Middle Ruthenian (Middle Ukrainian and Middle Belarusian) was developed from the leading chancery language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a multifunctional written language that was broadly used in both religious and secular genres. After Middle Ruthenian literacy reached its pinnacle between 1570 and 1670, it gradually declined in the following decades. Modern Standard Belarusian and Ukrainian, however, did not immediately build on Middle Ruthenian traditions.Historical frameworkAfter the collapse of medieval Rus…