| Silesian | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ślůnsko godka | ||
| Spoken in | Silesian Voivodeship and Opole Voivodeship in Poland, Moravian-Silesian Region and Olomouc Region (only Jeseník District) in Czech Republic, Germany and USA | |
| Region | Upper Silesia / Silesia | |
| Total speakers | no data * ≈56,000 (data from Census in Poland) * speakers outside of Poland: no data |
|
| Language family | Indo-European
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| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1 | None | |
| ISO 639-2 | sla | |
| ISO 639-3 | szl | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
Silesian or Upper Silesian (Silesian: Ślůnsko godka, Czech: Slezský jazyk, Polish: Język śląski) is a Slavic language spoken in the region of Silesia. The ISO 639-3 language code is szl[1].
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Distribution
Silesian speakers currently live in the region of Upper Silesia, which is split between southwestern Poland and the northeastern Czech Republic. At present Silesian is commonly spoken in the area between historical border of Silesia on the east, and a line from Syców to Prudnik on the west, as well as in the Rawicz area. Until 1945 Silesian was also spoken in enclaves in Lower Silesia, as Lower Silesian language was spoken by the ethnic German majority population of that region at the time.
According to the last official census in Poland (2002), about 60,000 people declared Silesian as their native tongue, and over 173,000 people declared Silesian nationality[2]. There are also about 100,000 Silesian (Cieszyn Silesian) speakers living in the Czech Republic; Cieszyn Silesian is also commonly spoken in the Polish part of Cieszyn Silesia. Speakers of Cieszyn Silesian dialect usually identify themselves on the nationality level as Poles[3]. According to the last official census in Czech Republic, 10,878 people in declared Silesian nationality[citation needed].
The recognition of Silesian
In 2003, the National Publishing Company of Silesia (Narodowa Oficyna Śląska) commenced operations[4]. This publisher was started by the Alliance of People of the Silesian Nation (Związek Ludności Narodowości Śląskiej) and it prints books about Silesia and books in Silesian language.
In July 2007, the Slavic Silesian language was recognized by an ISO Joint Advisory Committee[5], Library of Congress[6][7][8], International Information Centre for Terminology and SIL International. Language was attributed ISO code: SZL[9][10][11][12].
On 6 September 2007, 23 politicians of the Polish parliament notified about a project of a new law to give the Silesian language the official status of a regional language[13].
The first official National Dictation contest of the Silesian language (Ogólnopolskie Dyktando Języka Śląskiego) took place in August 2007[14].
On 30 January 2008 and in June 2008, two organizations promoting Silesian language were started: Pro Loquela Silesiana and "Tôwarzistwo Piastowaniô Ślónskij Môwy "Danga"[15].
On 26 May 2008, Silesian Wikipedia was started.[16]
On 30 June 2008 in the edifice of the Silesian Parliament in Katowice, a conference took place on the status of Silesian language. This conference was a forum for politicians, linguists, representatives of interested organizations, and persons who deal with the Silesian language. The conference was titled "Silesian - still a dialect or already a language?" ("Śląsko godka - jeszcze gwara czy jednak już język"?)[17].
Writing
Steuer's Silesian alphabet
The attempts at codification of Silesian are numerous. One of the first alphabets created specifically for Silesian was Steuer's Silesian alphabet, used by Feliks Steuer to write his poems in Silesian. The alphabet consists of 30 graphemes and eight digraphs.
Letters: A, B, C, Ć, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, Ł, M, N, Ń, O, P, R, S, Ś, T, U, Ů, W, Y, Z, Ź, Ż
Digraphs: Au, Ch, Cz, Dz, Dź, Dż, Rz, Sz
Tadzikowy muster
This alphabet came into being in the 1990s. It was created by Ted Jeczalik (Tadzik Jeczalik, Tadeusz Jaczalik)[18] from the USA (one of jurors of National Dictation contest of the Silesian language / Ogólnopolskie Dyktando Języka Śląskiego). This alphabet is based on the standard Latin alphabet/English alphabet (compatible with ISO) and consists of 26 graphemes and 15 digraphs. Instead of special diacritics, an apostrophe after a letter is used.
| Majuscule Forms (also called uppercase or capital letters) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| Minuscule Forms (also called lowercase or small letters) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |
| Digraphs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| c' | ci | l' | n' | ni | oo | rz | s' | si | z' | zi | dz | dz' | dzi | drz | |||||||||||
Phonetic Silesian alphabet
In 2006 a new Silesian alphabet was proposed. It consists of 32 graphemes and four digraphs.
Letters: A, B, C, Ć, Č, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ń, O, P, R, Ř, S, Ś, Š, T, U, Ů, W, Y, Z, Ź, Ž
Digraphs: Ch, Dz, Dź, Dž.
Polish alphabet for Silesian
Silesian is also written in an adaptation of the Polish alphabet.[18] It contains 30 graphemes and 7 digraphs.
Letters: A, B, C, Ć, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, Ł, M, N, Ń, O, Ó, P, R, S, Ś, T, U, W, Y, Z, Ź, Ż
Digraphs: Ch, Cz, Dz, Dź, Dż, Rz, Sz
It is widely used, as Silesians in Poland are taught in Polish schools and they know only the Polish way of writing. This method is used in approximately half of Silesian-language web pages and books.[18]
Writing in this alphabet is rather problematic, since there are many ways to write one sound, e.g. ź ([ʑ]) from the "phonetic alphabet" used inter alia on the Silesian Wikipedia can be written as ź or zi, but zi in the phonetic script stands for [zi]. There's also the risk of losing the characteristic Silesian pronunciation - there is not one method of writing ů ([o]) - the word Ślůnsk can be written as Ślonsk, Ślónsk, Ślunsk and even Śląsk (despite the fact that there are no phonemic nasal vowels in Silesian).
The same thing is with the diphtong uo ([wɔ]). According to the Polish orthography it must be transcribed as ło, which is incorrect, because it destroys the rule that "ł" comes from a velarized l. The alphabet is criticised by supporters of radical writings.
Example
The Lord's Prayer in Silesian, Polish and Czech.
| Silesian | Polish | Czech |
|---|---|---|
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Dialects of Silesian language
The Silesian language has many local dialects:
- Cieszyn Silesian dialect
- Niemodlin Silesian dialect
- Gliwice Silesian dialect
- Jabłonków Silesian dialect
- Kluczbork Silesian dialect
- Prudnik Silesian dialect
- Opole Silesian dialect
- Lach Silesian dialect
- Sulkovian Silesian dialect
Dialect vs language
Opinions are divided between Polish linguists whether Silesian is a distinct language or simply another dialect of Polish. The issue can be contentious as some Silesians consider themselves to be a nationality within Poland. Linguists from Poland, for example; Jan Niecisław Baudouin de Courtenay (19th-20th century)[19] Jolanta Tambor[20], Tomasz Wicherkiewicz[21] and Tomasz Kamusella[22][23] support its status as a language.
International linguists and other scientists such as Reinhold Olesch[24][25] from Germany, Ewald Osers (1949)[26][27] and Norman Davies[28] from United Kingdom, Czech Óndra Łysohorsky also support the status of Silesian as a Slavic language.
Gerd Hentschel from Germany dissents. He wrote "(...) ohne Zweifel als Dialekt des Polnischen beschrieben werden" (engl.: is without doubt a dialect of Polish.)[29]. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines as a dialect of Polish.[30]
Culture
The Silesian language has recently seen an increased use in culture, for example:
- TV and radio stations (for example: TV Silesia, Sfera TV, Slonsky Radio[31], Radio Piekary);
- music groups (for example: Hasiok, Dohtor Miód, FEET);
- theatre [32] (for example: "Polterabend" in Silesian Theatre[33]);
- film (for example: Grzeszny żywot Franciszka Buły (Sinful Life of Franciszek Buła)
- books (for example, the so-called Silesian's Bible)
- teaching aids (for example, a Silesian basal reader[34])
Trivia
Book of Henryków (1270) is the earliest document to include a sentence written in the Silesian language, though it is also recognised as Polish or Czech.[35]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Silesian language |
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Wikinews has related news: Silesian language granted ISO code |
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Wikibooks has a book on the topic of |
References
- ^ (English) http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=szl
- ^ (Polish) www.stat.gov.pl - Main Statistical Office of Polish government: report of Polish census of 2002
- ^ (English) "Borders of Language and Identity in Teschen Silesia" - Kevin Hannan, 1996. New York: Peter Lang, page 162
- ^ (Polish) Page of National printing house of Silesia (Narodowa Oficyna Śląska)
- ^ (English) Official page of Joint Advisory Committee (ISO 639/JAC)
- ^ (Polish) "Język śląski jest językiem obcym" - Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat, 2007
- ^ (English) "US Library of Congress recognizes the Silesian language" - www.poland.pl, 2007
- ^ (English) "Silesian – a language, not a dialect" - www.polskieradio.pl (en. www.polishradio.pl)
- ^ (English) www.sil.org - ISO documentation of Silesian language
- ^ (English) www.sil.org - list of languages with codes ISO (letter "S")
- ^ (English) www.ethnologue.org - list of languages with codes ISO
- ^ (English) www.lingvoj.org
- ^ (Polish) http://www.dyktando.org./?id=opis
- ^ (Silesian)/(Polish) www.dyktando.org - official page of National Dictation contest of the Silesian language
- ^ (Polish) "Śląski wśród języków świata" - Dziennik Zachodni, 2008
- ^ (Polish) "Śląska Wikipedia już działa" - Gazeta Wyborcza-Gospodarka, 2008
- ^ (Polish) "Katowice: konferencja dotycząca statusu śląskiej mowy" - article in pl.Wikinews
- ^ a b c Dyktando 2008 - Ogólnopolskie Dyktando Języka Śląskiego
- ^ (English)/(Polish) "God's Playground" - Norman Davies, ISBN 83-240-0020-8
- ^ (Polish) "Językoznawcy o mowie śląskiej" - Gazeta Wyborcza-Katowice, 2006
- ^ (Polish) "Język śląski uznany w Stanach Zjednoczonych" - Gazeta Wyborcza-Katowice, 2007
- ^ (Polish) "Schlonzska mowa - Język, Górny Śląsk i nacjonalizm" - Tomasz Kamusella, ISBN 83-919589-2-2
- ^ (English) "The Szlonzoks and their Language: Between Germany, Poland and Szlonzokian Nationalism" - Tomasz Kamusella, European University Institute - Department of History and Civilization and Opole University, 2003
- ^ (German) "Zur schlesischen Sprachlandschaft: Ihr alter slawischer Anteil" - Reinhold Olesch, 1987, page 32-45
- ^ (Polish) Joanna Rostropowicz: Śląski był jego językiem ojczystym [Reinhold Olesch, 1910-1990] w: Śląsk bogaty różnorodnością - kultur, narodów i wyznań. Historia lokalna na przykładzie wybranych powiatów, miast i gmin (red. Krzysztof Kluczniok, Tomasz Zając), Urząd Gm. i M. Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Dom Współpracy Pol.-Niem., Czerwionka-Leszczyny 2004, ISBN 83-920458-5-8
- ^ (English) "Silesian Idiom and Language" - Ewald Osers, New York 1949
- ^ (English) "Slavonic Encyclopedia", page 1149-1151
- ^ (English) "Europe: A History" - Norman Davies, page 1233, ISBN 0-19-820171-0
- ^ (German) Gerd Hentschel - Schlesisch
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica, Silesian
- ^ (Silesian) www.slonskyradio.eu
- ^ (Polish) www.e-teatr.pl
- ^ (Polish) www.teatrslaski.art.pl (Silesian Theatre)
- ^ (Silesian) Przemysław Jedlicki, Mirosław Syniawa "Ślabikorz dlo Slůnzokůw", Gazeta Wyborcza Katowice, 2009-February-13 (copy)
- ^ (Silesian) www.slunskoeka.pyrsk.com
External links
- (Silesian) Pů našymu
- (Silesian) Slonsko Lauba
- (Silesian) Slunskoeka
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