Range of the Silesian language on a map of East-Central Europe (marked as G1 and G2, in southern Poland and the eastern Czech Republic).

Silesian or Upper Silesian (Silesian: Ślůnsko godka, Czech: slezský jazyk, Polish: język śląski) is considered either a dialect of the Polish language^[2][3][4] (apart from the Lach dialects, which are usually regarded as a branch of the Czech language),^[5][6][7] or a separate Slavic language.^[8]

Distribution[link]

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, a German dialect, was spoken by the ethnic German majority population of that region at the time.

According to the last official census in Poland (2002), above 56,000^[9] people declared Silesian as their native language, and over 173,000 people declared Silesian nationality (mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship).^[10] 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.^[11] According to the last official census in Czech Republic, 10,878 Czechs declared Silesian nationality.^{[citation needed]}

Recognition[link]

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In 2003, the National Publishing Company of Silesia (Narodowa Oficyna Śląska) commenced operations.^[12] This publisher was founded by the Alliance of the 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,^[13] Library of Congress,^[14][15][16] International Information Centre for Terminology and SIL International; the language was attributed an ISO code of szl.^[17][18][19]

On 6 September 2007, 23 politicians of the Polish parliament made a statement about a new law to give Silesian the official status of a regional language.^[20]

The first official National Dictation Contest of the Silesian language (Ogólnopolskie Dyktando Języka Śląskiego) took place in August 2007.^[21]

On 30 January 2008 and in June 2008, two organizations promoting Silesian language were established: Pro Loquela Silesiana and Tôwarzistwo Piastowaniô Ślónskij Môwy "Danga".^[22]

On 26 May 2008, Silesian Wikipedia was founded.^[23]

On 30 June 2008 in the edifice of the Silesian Parliament in Katowice, a conference took place on the status of the 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?).^[24]

Writing system[link]

Steuer's Silesian alphabet[link]

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[link]

This alphabet came into being in the 1990s. It was created by Ted Jeczalik^[25] from the United States, one of jurors of the National Dictation Contest of the Silesian language. This alphabet is based on the ISO basic Latin alphabet and consists of 26 letters and 15 digraphs. Instead of diacritics, an apostrophe after a letter is used.

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[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 2006 a new Silesian alphabet was proposed.^{[by whom?]} 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[link]

Silesian is also written in an adaptation of the Polish alphabet.^[25] 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.^[25]

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, amongst other places, on the Silesian Wikipedia can be written as ź or zi, but zi in the phonetic script stands for [zi]. There is 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 (although there are no phonemic nasal vowels in Silesian).

The same thing is with the diphthong uo [wɔ]. According to the Polish orthography it must be transcribed unetymologically as ło, which is wrong, because it destroys the rule that "ł" comes from a velarized l. This alphabet is criticised by supporters of radical writings.

Grammar[link]

In contrast with Polish, Silesian retains the pluperfect (joech śe była uobaliyła — "I had slipped") and separate past conditional (jo bych śe była uobaliyła — "I would have slipped").

Another major difference is in question-forming. In Polish, questions that do not contain interrogative words are formed either by using intonation or the interrogative particle czy. In Silesian, questions that do not contain interrogative words are formed by using intonation (with a markedly different intonation pattern than in Polish) or inversion (e.g. je to na mapie?); there is no interrogative particle.

Example[link]

The Lord's Prayer in Silesian, Polish and Czech.

Dialects of Silesian ethnolect[link]

Grave inscription at Lutheran cemetery in Střítež near Český Těšín. The inscription, which says "Rest in Peace", is in the Cieszyn Silesian dialect.

The Silesian language has many local dialects:

• Dialects spoken in areas which are now part of the Czech Republic:
  • Cieszyn Silesian dialect
  • Opava (Troppau) Silesian dialect
  • Jabłonków Silesian dialect
  • Lach Silesian dialect
• Dialects spoken in areas which are now part of Poland:
  • Niemodlin Silesian dialect
  • Gliwice Silesian dialect
  • Kluczbork Silesian dialect
  • Prudnik Silesian dialect
  • Opole Silesian dialect
  • Sulkovian Silesian dialect

Dialect vs language[link]

Opinions are divided between linguists about whether Silesian is a distinct language or simply a dialect of Polish. The issue can be contentious, as some Silesians consider themselves to be a nationality within Poland. Some linguists from Poland, for example; Jan Baudouin de Courtenay (19th–20th century)^[26] Jolanta Tambor,^[27] Tomasz Wicherkiewicz^[28] and sociolinguist Tomasz Kamusella^[29][30] support its status as a language, some others don't, e.g. Jan Miodek (Silesian roots) and Edward Polański.

International linguists and other scholars such as Reinhold Olesch^[31][32][33] from Germany, Norman Davies^[34] from the United Kingdom also support the status of Silesian as a Slavic language.^{[citation needed]}

Czech Óndra Łysohorsky and his translator Ewald Osers (1949),^[35][36] were interested in Lach dialects.

Gerd Hentschel wrote "Das Schlesische ... kann somit ... ohne Zweifel als Dialekt des Polnischen beschrieben werden" ("Silesian ... can thus ... without doubt be described as a dialect of Polish").^[2] Also in his book Das Schlesische — eine neue (oder auch nicht neue) slavische Sprache (Silesian — a new (or not new) Slavic language?) he conclude that it's a dialect.^[3]

Encyclopædia Britannica defines it as a dialect of Polish.^[4] However, Lach dialects^[5][6] are considered part of the Czech language.^[7]

Culture[link]

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,^[37] Radio Piekary);
• music groups (for example: Hasiok, Dohtor Miód, FEET);
• theatre^[38] (for example: Polterabend in Silesian Theatre^[39]);
• film (for example: Grzeszny żywot Franciszka Buły ("The Sinful Life of Franciszek Buła")
• books (for example, the so-called Silesian Bible; poetry: "Myśli ukryte" by Karol Gwóźdź)
• teaching aids (for example, a Silesian basal reader)^[40]

History[link]

The oldest known Silesian sentence; Book of Henryków (1270)

The Book of Henryków (1270) is the earliest document to include a sentence written in the Silesian language, although the sentence has also been recognised as being in ether Polish or Czech.^[41] The Book of Henrykow itself calls it "Polish" ("Hoc est in polonico").^[42][43][44]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Silesian language

Wikinews has related news: Silesian language granted ISO code

• Silesian German
• Texas Silesian
• Vilamovian language

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Silesian

Silesian language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Silesian language at Ethnologue (16th ed., 2009)
• (English) Silesian dictionary
• (Silesian) Pů našymu
• (Silesian) Slonsko Lauba
• (Silesian) Slunskoeka
• (Silesian) Jynzyk S'loonski

Dr Jerzy Gorzelik

Jerzy Zdzisław Gorzelik (born 25 October 1971 in Zabrze^[1]) – Silesian politician and an art historian. The president of the Silesian Autonomy Movement and an advocate for decentralization of the Polish administrative structure.^[2]

References[link]