Editing Silesian language (section)

{{Short description|West Slavic ethnolect}}
{{About|the West Slavic lect|the German dialect|Silesian German|the ethnic group/nation|Silesians}}
{{distinguish|Sicilian language}}
{{pp-move-dispute|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Silesian
| altname          = Upper Silesian
| nativename       = {{lang|szl|ślōnskŏ gŏdka}}<br />{{lang|szl|ślůnsko godka}}<ref name="ethnologue" />
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|sla|ˈɕlonskɔ ˈɡɔtka|}}
| ethnicity        = [[Silesians]]
| states           = [[Poland]] ([[Silesian Voivodeship]], [[Opole Voivodeship]])<br />[[Czech Republic]] ([[Moravian–Silesian Region|Moravia–Silesia]], [[Jeseník District|Jeseník]])
| region           = [[Silesia]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|457,900|6}}
| ref              = <ref name="GUS2021">{{cite web|url=https://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/6494/10/1/1/wstepne_wyniki_nsp_2021_w_zakresie_struktury_narodowo-etnicznej_oraz_jezyka_kontaktow_domowych.pdf|title=Wstępne wyniki Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego Ludności i Mieszkań 2021 w zakresie struktury narodowo-etnicznej oraz języka kontaktów domowych|trans-title=Report of results: National Census of Population and Housing, 2021.|language=pl|work=[[Central Statistical Office (Poland)|Central Statistical Office of Poland]]|date=2023}}</ref>
| date             = 2021 census
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Balto-Slavic languages|Balto-Slavic]]
| fam3             = [[Slavic languages|Slavic]]
| fam4             = [[West Slavic languages|West Slavic]]
| fam5             = [[Lechitic languages|Lechitic]]<ref name="ethnologue">{{cite web |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/szl |title=Ethnologue report for language code: <code>szl</code> |work=Ethnologue. Languages of the World }}</ref>
| dia1             = [[Cieszyn Silesian dialect|Cieszyn]]
| dia2             = [[Sulkovian dialect|Sulkovian]]
| dia3             = [[Texan Silesian|Texan]]
| dia4             = [[Prudnik Silesian dialect|Prudnik]]
| dia5             = [[Niemodlin dialect|Niemodlin]]
| script           = [[Latin script]] ([[#Writing system|Steuer's alphabet]] and [[#Writing system|ślabikŏrzowy szrajbōnek]])<ref>{{e21|szl}}</ref>
| nation           = 
| iso3             = szl
| glotto           = sile1253
| glottorefname    = Silesian
| lingua           = <code>53-AAA-cck</code>, <code>53-AAA-dam</code>
}}
[[File:Languages of CE Europe-3.PNG|thumb|upright 1.2|<div class="legend">Range of Silesian on a map of [[East-Central Europe]] (marked as <span class="legend-color" style="display:inline-block; width:1.5em; height:1.5em; margin:1px 0; border:1px solid black; background:#8ec700; text-align:center;">''G1''</span> and <span class="legend-color" style="display:inline-block; width:1.5em; height:1.5em; margin:1px 0; border:1px solid black; background:#aee800; text-align:center;">''G2''</span>, in southern Poland and the eastern Czech Republic).</div>]]
[[File:Distribution of the Silesian language.png|thumb|Distribution area of the Silesian language]]
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Piotr speaking Silesian and English.webm|thumb|A Silesian speaker, recorded in Poland]]
'''Silesian''',{{efn|
* {{langx|szl|link=no|ślůnsko godka}} <small>([[#Writing system|Steuer's alphabet]])</small>, {{lang|szl|ślōnskŏ gŏdka}} <small>([[#Writing system|Ślabikŏrzowy szrajbōnek]])</small>, {{IPA|sla|ˈɕlonskɔ ˈɡɔtka|}}
* {{langx|cs|slezština}}
* {{langx|pl|język śląski}}, {{lang|pl|śląszczyzna}}
* {{langx|de|Schlesisch, Schlonsakisch}}}} occasionally called '''Upper Silesian''', is an [[ethnolect]]<ref name="NFP12">{{Cite news |last=Ptak |first=Alicja |date=2022-12-28 |title=Supermarket introduces bilingual Polish-Silesian signs |url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2022/12/28/supermarket-introduces-bilingual-polish-silesian-signs/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |publisher=Notes from Poland |location=Kraków |language=en}}</ref><ref name="NFP22">{{Cite news |last=Tilles |first=Daniel |date=2023-04-13 |title=New census data reveal changes in Poland's ethnic and linguistic makeup |url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/04/13/new-census-data-reveal-changes-in-polands-ethnic-and-linguistic-makeup/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |publisher=Notes from Poland |location=Kraków |language=en}}</ref> of the [[Lechitic languages|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.<ref>[[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.</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite journal |date=18 August 2020 |title=Najstarszy zabytek śląskiej literatury? (Część 1) |url=https://wachtyrz.eu/najstarszy-zabytek-slaskiej-literatury-czesc-1/ |journal=Wachtyrz.eu |language=pl |access-date=21 June 2023 |quote=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.}}</ref>

Linguistic distinctiveness of Silesian has long been a topic of discussion among Poland's [[Linguistics|linguists]], especially after all of Upper Silesia was included within the Polish borders, following World War II.<ref name="NFP">{{Cite news|title=Law to recognise Silesian as regional language in Poland approved by parliament|url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/04/26/law-to-recognise-silesian-as-regional-language-in-poland-approved-by-parliament/|first=Daniel|last=Tilles|publisher=Notes from Poland|location=Kraków|date=2024-04-26|language=en|access-date=2024-04-29}}</ref> Some regard it as one of the [[Dialects of Polish|four major dialects]] of [[Polish language|Polish]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gwara Śląska – świadectwo kultury, narzędzie komunikacji |date=2002 |publisher=„Śląsk" |others=Jolanta Tambor (eds.); Aldona Skudrzykowa |isbn=83-7164-314-4 |location=Katowice |oclc=830518005}}</ref><ref>„Słownik gwar Śląskich". Opole, Bogusław Wyderka (eds.)</ref><ref>„Dialekt śląski" author: Feliks Pluta, publication: Wczoraj, Dzisiaj, Jutro. – 1996, no 1/4, pp 5–19</ref><ref>„Fenomen śląskiej gwary" author: Jan Miodek publication: Śląsk. – 1996, no 5, pp 52</ref> while others classify it as a separate regional language, distinct from Polish.<ref name="NFP1">{{Cite news |last=Ptak |first=Alicja |date=2022-12-28 |title=Supermarket introduces bilingual Polish-Silesian signs |url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2022/12/28/supermarket-introduces-bilingual-polish-silesian-signs/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |publisher=Notes from Poland |location=Kraków |language=en}}</ref><ref>Norman Davies, Europe: A History, Oxford 1996 pp 1233</ref><ref>[https://d.polskatimes.pl/k/r/10/26/fe/4dd5396ff3179_z.pdf 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.)]</ref> According to the official data from the [[2021 Polish census]], about 500 000 people consider Silesian as their [[first language|native language]].<ref name="GUS2021" /> Internationally, Silesian has been fully recognized as a language since 2007, when it was accorded the [[ISO 639-3]] registration code ''szl''.<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/szl/ Silesian ''szl''. Ethnologue.]</ref>

Several efforts have been made to gain recognition for Silesian as an official [[regional language]] in Poland. Shortly before the [[2007 Polish parliamentary election]], the MPs of [[Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland]], [[League of Polish Families]], [[People's National Movement (Poland)|People's National Movement]] and the [[Polish People's Party]] submitted a bill recognizing Silesian as a regional language in Poland,<ref name="interslask">{{cite web |url=https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/slaskie/news-gwara-slaska-jezykiem-regionalnym,nId,1139657 |title=Gwara śląska językiem regionalnym? |date=7 September 2007 |language=pl |website=interia.pl}}</ref> but the Sejm was dissolved before the bill could have been passed.<ref name="frank">{{cite web |url=https://slaskaopinia.pl/2021/08/17/slaski-jezykiem/ |title=Historia walki o uznanie języka śląskiego |first=Grzegorz |last=Frank |date=17 August 2021 |website=slaskaopinia.pl |language=pl}}</ref> In April 2024, the Polish [[Sejm]] took a significant step by passing a [[Bill (law)|bill]] recognizing it as such,<ref name="NFP" /> however, the bill was vetoed by President [[Andrzej Duda]] on 29 May 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=S |date=2024-05-29 |title=President Duda Vetoes Bill to Recognize Silesian Dialect as Regional Language |url=https://polanddaily24.com/president-duda-vetoes-bill-to-recognize-silesian-dialect-as-regional-language/politics/42199 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=PolandDaily24.com |language=en-US}}</ref>