Editing Karelian language (section)

==Geographic distribution==
[[File:2.2b-Karelian-and-Ludic current.png|thumb|Current distribution of Karelian and Ludic<ref name=map1>{{Cite journal |last1=Rantanen |first1=Timo |last2=Tolvanen |first2=Harri |last3=Roose |first3=Meeli |last4=Ylikoski |first4=Jussi |last5=Vesakoski |first5=Outi |date=2022-06-08 |title=Best practices for spatial language data harmonization, sharing and map creation—A case study of Uralic |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=e0269648 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0269648|doi-access=free |pmid=35675367 |pmc=9176854 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1769648R }}</ref><ref name=map2>Rantanen, Timo, Vesakoski, Outi, Ylikoski, Jussi, & Tolvanen, Harri. (2021). ''Geographical database of the Uralic languages'' (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4784188</ref>]]
In [[Russia]], Karelian is spoken by about 13,880 people (2020),<ref name="2020census"/> mainly in the [[Republic of Karelia]], although notable Karelian-speaking communities can also be found in the [[Tver Karelia|Tver region]] ([[Tver Oblast]]) northwest of [[Moscow]]. Previously, it was estimated that there were 5,000 speakers in [[Finland]], mainly belonging to the older generations,<ref name=krl2>{{cite web|title=Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus :: Karjalan kielet|url=http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=174|access-date=2010-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514041624/http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=174|archive-date=2011-05-14}}</ref> but more recent estimates have put the number of people with even slight knowledge of the language at 30,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksml.fi/mielipide/mielipidekirjoitukset/karjalaa-osaavien-yhteiso-on-suuri/2065961|title=Karjalaa osaavien yhteisö on suuri|first=Ari|last=Burtsoff|access-date=2015-07-20|archive-date=2019-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018044042/https://www.ksml.fi/mielipide/mielipidekirjoitus/Karjalaa-osaavien-yhteis%C3%B6-on-suuri/366202}}</ref> Due to post-World War II mobility and internal migration, Karelians now live scattered throughout Finland, and Karelian is no longer spoken as a local community language.<ref name=krl3>{{cite web|title=ELDIA project – Karelian|url=http://www.eldia-project.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88%3Akarelian&catid=50%3Alanguage-descriptions-category&Itemid=64&lang=en|access-date=2010-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726022430/http://www.eldia-project.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88:karelian&catid=50:language-descriptions-category&Itemid=64&lang=en|archive-date=2011-07-26}}</ref>

===Official status===
In the [[Republic of Karelia]], Karelian has official status as a minority language,<ref name="minorityref"/> and since the late 1990s there have been moves to pass special language legislation, which would give Karelian an official status on par with [[Russian language|Russian]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Koulunjohtaja Paavo Harakka – Esitelmä valtakunnallisilla kotiseutupäivillä|url=http://www.karjalankielenseura.fi/tekstit/kirjoituksia/valtimo082001.html|access-date=2010-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720190312/http://www.karjalankielenseura.fi/tekstit/kirjoituksia/valtimo082001.html|archive-date=2011-07-20}}</ref> [[Karelians]] in [[Tver Oblast]] have a national-cultural autonomy which guarantees the use of the Karelian language in schools and mass media.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Karelian Language and Tver Karelian Cultural Autonomy|url=http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/abstracts/turicheva.html|access-date=2010-07-31}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In [[Finland]], Karelian has official status as a non-regional national minority language within the framework of the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]].<ref>{{cite web|title=FINLEX – Asetus alueellisia kieliä tai vähemmistökieliä koskevan eurooppalaisen peruskirjan voimaansaattamisesta|url=https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/saadoskokoelma/2009/956|access-date=2010-06-06}}</ref>

===Supradialects and dialects===
The Karelian language has two main varieties, which can be considered as [[supradialect]]s or separate languages: [[Karelian Proper language|Karelian Proper]], which comprises [[Northern Karelian language|Northern Karelian]] and South Karelian (including the Tver enclave dialects); and [[Olonets Karelian]]. These varieties constitute a continuum of dialects, the ends of which are no longer mutually intelligible.<ref name=krl3 /> Varieties can be further divided into individual dialects:<ref>{{cite web|title=Karjala – kieli, murre ja paikka|url=https://kaino.kotus.fi/www/verkkojulkaisut/julk129/karjalan_kielen_murteet.shtml|access-date=2010-07-10}}</ref>[[File:Karelian dialects Vepkar English 2019.png|thumb|Scheme of the supradialects and dialects of the Karelian language, VepKar corpus, 2019.{{sfn|Klyachko et al.|2019|p=54}}|223x223px]]

{{tree list}}
* '''Karelian'''
** [[Karelian Proper]]
*** [[Northern Karelian language|North Karelian]] (spoken in the parishes of Jyskyjärvi, Kieretti, [[Kiestinki]], Kontokki, Oulanka, [[Paanajärvi]], Pistojärvi, [[Suomussalmi]], [[Kalevala, Russia|Uhtua]], Usmana, Vitsataipale and Vuokkiniemi)
*** [[South Karelian dialect|South Karelian]] (spoken in the parishes of [[Ilomantsi]], [[Impilahti]], Korpiselkä, Mäntyselkä, Paatene, [[Porosozero|Porajärvi]], Repola, Rukajärvi, Suikujärvi, Suistamo, [[Suoyarvi|Suojärvi]] and Tunkua; and additionally in the enclaves of Tver, Tikhvin and Valdai)
**** [[Tver Karelian dialect|Tver Karelian]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Mauri Rastas: "karjalan kieli"|url=http://www.kolumbus.fi/rastas/kieli/karkiel1.html|access-date=2010-07-10}}</ref>
***** [[:ru:Дорожаево (Тверская область)|Dorža]] dialect
***** [[Maksatikha|Maksuatiha]] dialect
***** [[Rameshki, Rameshkovsky District, Tver Oblast|Ruameška]] dialect
***** [[:ru:Толмачи|Tolmattšu]] dialect
***** [[Vesyegonsk|Vesjegonsk]] (Vessi) dialect
** [[Olonets Karelian language|Olonets Karelian]] or Livvi (spoken in the parishes of Kotkatjärvi, Munjärvi, Nekkula-Riipuškala, [[Salmi (rural locality)|Salmi]], Säämäjärvi, Tulemajärvi, [[Vieljärvi]] and Vitele)
{{tree list/end}}
{{clear}}

The [[Ludic language]], spoken along the easternmost edge of Karelian Republic, is in the Russian research tradition counted as a third main dialect of Karelian, though Ludic shows strong relationship also to [[Veps language|Veps]], and it is today also considered a separate language.