Silesian language

This article is about the West Slavic lect. For the German dialect, see Silesian German. For the ethnic group/nation, see Silesians.
Not to be confused with Sicilian language.

Silesian
Upper Silesian
ślōnskŏ gŏdka
ślůnsko godka[1]
Pronunciation[ˈɕlonskɔ ˈɡɔtka]
Native toPoland (Silesian Voivodeship, Opole Voivodeship)
Czech Republic (Moravia–Silesia, Jeseník)
RegionSilesia
EthnicitySilesians
Native speakers
457,900 (2021 census)[2]
Dialects
Latin script (Steuer's alphabet and ślabikŏrzowy szrajbōnek)[3]
Language codes
ISO 639-3szl
Glottologsile1253
ELPUpper Silesian
Linguasphere53-AAA-cck, 53-AAA-dam
Range of Silesian on a map of East-Central Europe (marked as G1 and G2, in southern Poland and the eastern Czech Republic).
Distribution area of the Silesian language
A Silesian speaker, recorded in Poland

Silesian,[a] occasionally called Upper Silesian, is an ethnolect[4][5] of the Lechitic group spoken by part of people in Upper Silesia. Its vocabulary was significantly influenced by Central German due to the existence of numerous Silesian German speakers in the area prior to World War II and after.[6] The first mentions of Silesian as a distinct lect date back to the 16th century, and the first literature with Silesian characteristics to the 17th century.[7]

Linguistic distinctiveness of Silesian has long been a topic of discussion among Poland's linguists, especially after all of Upper Silesia was included within the Polish borders, following World War II.[8] Some regard it as one of the four major dialects of Polish,[9][10][11][12] while others classify it as a separate regional language, distinct from Polish.[13][14][15] According to the official data from the 2021 Polish census, about 500 thousand people consider Silesian as their native language.[2] Internationally, Silesian has been fully recognized as a language since 2007, when it was accorded the ISO 639-3 registration code szl.[16]

Several efforts have been made to gain recognition for Silesian as an official regional language in Poland. In April 2024, the Polish Sejm took a significant step by passing a bill recognizing it as such,[8] however, the bill was vetoed by President Andrzej Duda on 29 May 2024.[17]

  1. ^ a b "Ethnologue report for language code: szl". Ethnologue. Languages of the World.
  2. ^ a b "Wstępne wyniki Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego Ludności i Mieszkań 2021 w zakresie struktury narodowo-etnicznej oraz języka kontaktów domowych" [Report of results: National Census of Population and Housing, 2021.] (PDF). Central Statistical Office of Poland (in Polish). 2023.
  3. ^ Silesian language at Ethnologue (21st ed., 2018) Closed access icon
  4. ^ Ptak, Alicja (28 December 2022). "Supermarket introduces bilingual Polish-Silesian signs". Kraków: Notes from Poland. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  5. ^ Tilles, Daniel (13 April 2023). "New census data reveal changes in Poland's ethnic and linguistic makeup". Kraków: Notes from Poland. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  6. ^ Tomasz Kamusella. 2013. The Silesian Language in the Early 21st Century: A Speech Community on the Rollercoaster of Politics (pp 1–35). Die Welt der Slaven. Vol 58, No 1.
  7. ^ "Najstarszy zabytek śląskiej literatury? (Część 1)". Wachtyrz.eu (in Polish). 18 August 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2023. Najstarsze dokumenty będące świadectwem wyodrębniania się dialektów śląskich w oddzielną grupę pochodzą z XVI w. Należą do nich m. in. list Ambrożego Szklorza z Olesna opublikowany przez Władysława Nehringa (Nehring 1902 [1]) i rachunek ślusarza Matysa Hady opublikowany przez Leona Derlicha i Andrzeja Siuduta (Derlich, Siudut 1957). Są to jednak zabytki piśmiennictwa, a nie literatury – początków tej drugiej można się doszukiwać na Śląsku w najlepszym razie dopiero w wieku XVII.
  8. ^ a b Tilles, Daniel (26 April 2024). "Law to recognise Silesian as regional language in Poland approved by parliament". Kraków: Notes from Poland. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  9. ^ Gwara Śląska – świadectwo kultury, narzędzie komunikacji. Jolanta Tambor (eds.); Aldona Skudrzykowa. Katowice: „Śląsk". 2002. ISBN 83-7164-314-4. OCLC 830518005.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ „Słownik gwar Śląskich". Opole, Bogusław Wyderka (eds.)
  11. ^ „Dialekt śląski" author: Feliks Pluta, publication: Wczoraj, Dzisiaj, Jutro. – 1996, no 1/4, pp 5–19
  12. ^ „Fenomen śląskiej gwary" author: Jan Miodek publication: Śląsk. – 1996, no 5, pp 52
  13. ^ Ptak, Alicja (28 December 2022). "Supermarket introduces bilingual Polish-Silesian signs". Kraków: Notes from Poland. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  14. ^ Norman Davies, Europe: A History, Oxford 1996 pp 1233
  15. ^ Jolanta Tambor. Opinia merytoryczna na temat poselskiego projektu ustawy o zmianie Ustawy o mniejszościach narodowych i etnicznych oraz o języku regionalnym, a także niektórych innych ustaw, Warszawa 3 maja 2011 r. (English: Substantive opinion on the parliamentary bill amending the Act on national and ethnic minorities and on the regional language, as well as some other acts, Warsaw, May 3, 2011.)
  16. ^ Silesian szl. Ethnologue.
  17. ^ S (29 May 2024). "President Duda Vetoes Bill to Recognize Silesian Dialect as Regional Language". PolandDaily24.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.


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