Editing Regional language

{{Short description|Language spoken in parts but not all of a country}}
* 
{{Redirect|Local language|the concept in formal language theory|Local language (formal language)}}
{{Distinguish|National language|Nation language}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}
{{multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=February 2010}}
{{one source|date=May 2023}}
{{original research|date=May 2023}}
{{Expert needed|linguistics|date=April 2025}}
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A '''regional language''' is a [[language]] spoken in a region of a [[sovereign state]], whether it be a small area, a [[federated state]] or [[province]] or some wider area.

Internationally, for the purposes of the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]], "''regional or minority languages''" ''means languages that are:''
#''traditionally used within a given territory of a State by nationals of that State who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the State's population and''
#''different from the official language(s) of that State''<ref name=COE-Charter>{{cite web|title=European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|url=http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/148.htm|website=Council of Europe|access-date=11 March 2015|archive-date=26 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226052008/http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/HTML/148.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Recognition of regional or minority languages must not be confused with recognition as an [[official language]].

==Relationship with official languages==
In some cases, a regional language may be closely related to the state's main language or [[official language]]. For example:

*The [[Frisian languages]] spoken in the Netherlands and Germany, which belong to the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] family.
*The [[Gutnish|Gutnish language]], a regional language spoken in [[Gotland]] and related to the Swedish language.
*[[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]] in [[Kurdistan]], which is an autonomous region in northern [[Iraq]], Northwestern [[Iran]] and southeastern [[Turkey]].
*[[Suret language|Assyrian Neo-Aramaic]] in northern Iraq, northeastern [[Syria]], southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran.
*The several hundred [[Sinitic languages]] are nearly always replaced by [[Standard Chinese]] (based on the [[Beijing dialect]]) in writing.
**[[Wu Chinese|Wu]], in [[Shanghai]], southern [[Jiangsu]], [[Zhejiang]] and eastern [[Jiangxi]].
**[[Yue Chinese]], in [[Guangdong]], parts of [[Guangxi]], [[Hainan]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]], [[Cantonese]] is the regional standard variety for Yue-speaking areas
**[[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]], in parts of [[Guangdong]], [[Jiangxi]], [[Fujian]], and [[Taiwan]]
**[[Min Chinese|Min]], in [[Fujian]], [[Taiwan]], eastern [[Guangdong]] and [[Hainan]].
**[[Xiang Chinese|Xiang]], in [[Hunan]].
**[[Gan Chinese|Gan]], in [[Jiangxi]].
*[[Kashubian language|Kashubian]], a regional language of [[Poland]], has a bit under 90 thousand speakers, and is a language of the [[Lechitic languages|Lechitic]] branch, alongside [[Polish language|Polish]] and [[Silesian language|Silesian]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lekhitic languages {{!}} Slavic, Baltic & Germanic {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lekhitic-languages |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=2015-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610230836/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/335581/Lekhitic-languages |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Limburgish]], a regional language in [[Germany]], the [[Netherlands]] and Belgium, has around one million speakers and is closely related to [[Luxembourgish]], [[Kleverlandish]] and [[Ripuarian language|Ripuarian]].
*[[Low German]] (also referred to as Low Saxon), an officially recognized regional language in Germany and the Netherlands, the direct descendant of [[Old Saxon]]. Sometimes (e.g. by nds and nds-nl Wikipedia) considered two languages divided by today’s Netherlands–German border on account of Dutch influences in the west and German influences in the east; closely related to [[Frisian languages|Frisian]], more distantly to [[German language|German]].
*[[Scots language|Scots]], a regional language of [[Scotland]] and [[Northern Ireland]] (both part of the [[United Kingdom]], and where it is known as [[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]] in the latter location), belongs to the same family of [[West Germanic languages]] as [[English language|English]].
*[[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]], [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]] and [[Venetian language|Venetian]], regional languages spoken in [[Italy]] which also belong to the same family of standard Italian ([[Italo-Dalmatian languages|Italo-Dalmatian]]).
*Regional languages of [[Languages of Spain|Spain]] and [[Languages of Portugal|Portugal]]:
**[[Aranese dialect|Aranese]], [[Catalan language|Catalan]], and [[Galician language|Galician]] are each, in the regions where they are the autochthonous language, co-official in status with [[Spanish language|Castilian]] (Spanish) which is official everywhere in the [[Spain|Kingdom of Spain]].
**[[Asturian language|Asturian]] and [[Leonese language|Leonese]] are recognized (but unofficial) in [[Asturias]] and [[Castile and León]] (Spain), while [[Mirandese language|Mirandese]] is co-official with Portuguese in [[Miranda do Douro]] (Portugal). These Romance languages are classified under the term [[Asturleonese language|Astur-Leonese languages]]. [[Asturleonese language|Astur-Leonese]] is closely related to both [[Spanish language|Castilian]] and [[Galician language|Galician]], which itself is most closely related to [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]. [[Catalan language|Catalan]] is an [[Occitano-Romance languages|Occitano-Romance language]].
**[[Occitan language|Occitan]], most widely spoken across the Pyrenees in France and Catalonia, together with Catalan, forms a subgroup of Romance languages linguistically intermediate between [[Gallo-Romance languages|French]] and the [[Iberian Romance languages|Ibero-Romance languages]] of Spain and Portugal. [[Aranese dialect|Aranese]] is a subdialect of [[Gascon dialect|Gascon]]
*[[Tibetic languages]]
**[[Amdo Tibetan|Amdo tibetan language]] have regional official status in [[amdo]] or [[Qinghai]].
**[[Lhasa Tibetan|Standard Tibetan]] is currently based on [[Lhasa Tibetan]].
*[[Võro language|Võro]] and [[Seto dialect|Seto]], regional languages of [[Estonia]], are either dialects of [[Estonian language|Estonian]] or separate [[Finnic languages]] as Estonian.
*[[Walloon language|Walloon]], a regional language of France and [[Belgium]], belongs to the same family of [[Langues d'oïl|Oïl languages]] as [[French language|French]].
*[[Hindi]] and English are the [[Official language|official languages]] of [[India]]'s [[Government of India|Central Government]].
**The officially declared [[Languages of India#Scheduled languages|regional languages of India]] are: [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Boro language (India)|Bodo]], [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Hindi]], [[Kannada]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Konkani language|Konkani]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Malayalam]], [[Meitei language|Manipuri]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Sanskrit]], [[Santali language|Santali]], [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], and [[Urdu]]. Most are [[Indo-Aryan languages]] like Hindi and descend from Sanskrit, but 4 (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam) are [[Dravidian languages]], 2 (Bodo and Manipuri) are [[Sino-Tibetan]], and Santali is a [[Munda languages|Munda language]]. In addition, there have been demands for 38 more languages to receive recognition.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/EighthSchedule_19052017.pdf | title=Constitutional provisions relating to Eighth Schedule | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424003517/https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/EighthSchedule_19052017.pdf | archive-date=2022-04-24 }}</ref>
*[[Sylheti language|Sylheti]], a regional language of the [[Sylhet Division]] of [[Bangladesh]] and the [[Barak Valley]] of [[Assam]], India, is often considered a dialect of Bengali but is also sometimes seen as a separate language.
*[[Chittagonian language|Chittagonian]], a regional language of parts of the [[Chittagong Division]] of [[Bangladesh]], is often considered a dialect of Bengali but is also sometimes seen as a separate language.

In other cases, a regional language may be very different from the state's main language or official language. For example:

*[[Basque language|Basque]], a regional language spoken in [[Spain]] and [[France]] ([[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]]).
*[[Breton language|Breton]], a regional Celtic language spoken in [[France]] ([[Brittany]]).
*[[Cherokee language|Cherokee]] is an [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]] language, and one of the many [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|Native American languages]] spoken in the [[United States|U.S.]] State of [[Oklahoma]].
*[[Cornish language|Cornish]], a regional Celtic language in the [[United Kingdom]] ([[Cornwall]]).
*[[Corsican language|Corsican]], a regional language in [[France]] ([[Corsica]]) closely related to [[Tuscan dialect|Tuscan]]-derived [[Italian language|Italian]].
*[[Gagauz language|Gagauz]], a regional [[Turkic languages|Turkic language]] spoken in [[Moldova]].
*[[Livonian language|Livonian]], a regional language of the [[Finnic languages|Finnic family]] spoken in [[Latvia]].
*[[Resian dialect|Resian]], a dialect of [[Slovene language|Slovene]] spoken in [[Italy]] ([[Resia, Friuli|Resia valley]]).
*[[Sardinian language|Sardinian]], a regional [[Romance languages|Romance language]] spoken in [[Italy]] ([[Sardinia]]).
*[[Scottish Gaelic]], a regional [[Celtic languages|Celtic language]] spoken in the [[United Kingdom]] ([[Scotland]]).
*[[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], a regional [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] language of [[Germany]].
*[[Welsh language|Welsh]], a regional [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] language spoken in the [[United Kingdom]] ([[Wales]]).

==Official languages as regional languages==
An official language of a country may also be spoken as a regional language in a region of a neighbouring country. For example:
*[[Afrikaans]], an official language of [[South Africa]], is a regional language of [[Namibia]].
*[[Arabic]], official in [[Zanzibar]], a region of [[Tanzania]].
*[[Bengali language|Bengali]] is the official language of Bangladesh, and is the regional language of [[West Bengal]] in India.
*[[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] is the official language of [[Bulgaria]], and is the regional language of [[Albania]], [[Czech Republic]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vlada.cz/assets/ppov/rnm/dokumenty/mezinarodni-dokumenty/duvodova_zprava_vlada_2005.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714223714/http://www.vlada.cz/assets/ppov/rnm/dokumenty/mezinarodni-dokumenty/duvodova_zprava_vlada_2005.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-14 |url-status=live |title=Národnostní menšiny v České republice a jejich jazyky|trans-title=National Minorities in Czech Republic and Their Language|publisher=Government of Czech Republic|page=2|quote=Podle čl. 3 odst. 2 Statutu Rady je jejich počet 12 a jsou uživateli těchto menšinových jazyků: ..., srbština a ukrajinština|language=cs}}</ref> [[Hungary]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://languagecharter.eokik.hu/sites/StatesParties/Hungary.htm |title=Implementation of the Charter in Hungary|work=Database for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|publisher=Public Foundation for European Comparative Minority Research|access-date=16 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227004902/http://languagecharter.eokik.hu/sites/StatesParties/Hungary.htm|archive-date=27 February 2014}}</ref> [[Moldova]], [[Romania]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Frawley|first=William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sl_dDVctycgC|title=International Encyclopedia of Linguistics|date=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-513977-8|pages=83|language=en}}</ref> [[Serbia]], [[Turkey]],<ref name=Bayır2013>{{Cite book |last=Bayır |first=Derya |title=Minorities and nationalism in Turkish law |date=2013 |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4094-7254-4 |series=Cultural Diversity and Law |location=Farnham|url=https://www.academia.edu/37557239| pages=88, 203–204}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Toktaş |first1=Şule |last2=Araş |first2=Bulent |date=2009 |title=The EU and Minority Rights in Turkey |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25655744 |journal=Political Science Quarterly |volume=124 |issue=4 |pages=697–720 |doi=10.1002/j.1538-165X.2009.tb00664.x |jstor=25655744 |issn=0032-3195|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Köksal |first=Yonca |date=2006 |title=Minority Policies in Bulgaria and Turkey: The Struggle to Define a Nation |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14683850601016390 |journal=Southeast European and Black Sea Studies |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=501–521 |doi=10.1080/14683850601016390 |s2cid=153761516 |issn=1468-3857|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=Özlem2019>{{Cite journal |first=Kader |last=Özlem |date=2019 |title=An Evaluation on Istanbul's Bulgarians as the "Invisible Minority" of Turkey |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=802933 |journal=Turan-Sam |language=English |volume=11 |issue=43 |pages=387–393 |issn=1308-8041}}</ref> and [[Ukraine]].
*[[Cantonese]], one of the official standard varieties in [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] (both [[Special administrative regions of China|special administrative regions]] of the [[China|People's Republic of China]]), is used as a regional language of the province of [[Guangdong]], [[China|People's Republic of China]].
*[[Catalan language|Catalan]], the official language of [[Andorra]], is a regional language in [[Spain]] ([[Catalonia]], [[Balearic Islands]] and [[Valencian Community]]), [[France]] ([[Pyrénées-Orientales|Pyrénées Orientales]]) and [[Italy]] ([[Alghero]], [[Sardinia]]).
*[[German language|German]], an official language of [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Switzerland]], is a regional language in [[Italy]] ([[South Tyrol]]), [[Poland]] ([[Silesia]]), [[France]] ([[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine]]), [[Denmark]] ([[Region of Southern Denmark|Southern]]), [[Namibia]], [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Chile]], and [[Venezuela]].
*[[Taiwanese Hakka|Hakka]], one of the national languages of [[Taiwan]], is spoken as a regional language in the provinces of [[Guangdong]], [[Jiangxi]] and [[Fujian]], [[China|People's Republic of China]].
*[[Taiwanese Hokkien|Hokkien]], one of the national languages of [[Taiwan]], is spoken as a regional language in the provinces of [[Fujian]], [[Zhejiang]] and [[Guangdong]], [[China|People’s Republic of China]].
*[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], a [[Uralic languages|Uralic language]] and official in [[Hungary]], is a regional language of [[Romania]] ([[Hungarians in Romania|Northern Transylvania]]).
*[[Irish language|Irish]], the first official language of the [[Republic of Ireland]], is a regional language in [[Northern Ireland]], part of the [[United Kingdom]].
*[[Japanese language|Japanese]], one of the national language in [[Japan]], is a regional language in [[Palau]] ([[Angaur Island]]).
*[[Korean language|Korean]], the official language of [[Korea]], is a regional language in [[China|People's Republic of China]] ([[Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture]]).
*[[Malay language|Malay]], the official language of [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]] and [[Singapore]], is a regional language in [[Indonesia]] ([[Riau|Riau Province]]).
*[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], the official language of [[Angola]], [[Brazil]], [[Cape Verde]], [[East Timor]], [[Mozambique]], [[Portugal]], and [[São Tomé and Príncipe]], is a regional language in [[South Africa]] and [[Uruguay]] and in [[Goa]] in India and [[Olivenza]] in Spain; it is also both the official and regional language in Macau.
*[[Romanian language|Romanian]], the official language of [[Romania]], [[Moldova]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://protv.md/actualitate/modificat-si-in-constitutie-limba-de-stat-a-republicii-moldova-este-limba-romana-foto---2648619.html|title=Modificat și în Constituție: "Limba de stat a Republicii Moldova este limba română" – FOTO|publisher=[[ProTV Chișinău]]|date=30 March 2023|language=ro|access-date=2 April 2023|archive-date=31 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331075620/https://protv.md/actualitate/modificat-si-in-constitutie-limba-de-stat-a-republicii-moldova-este-limba-romana-foto---2648619.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Transnistria]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsmaker.md/ro/cat-exista-transnistria-va-exista-limba-moldoveneasca-krasnoselski-despre-posibile-divergente-cu-chisinaul/|title="Cât există Transnistria, va exista "limba moldovenească". Krasnoselski, despre posibile divergențe cu Chișinăul|first=Stela|last=Untila|newspaper=NewsMaker|date=14 July 2021|language=ro|access-date=2 April 2023|archive-date=2 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402182649/https://newsmaker.md/ro/cat-exista-transnistria-va-exista-limba-moldoveneasca-krasnoselski-despre-posibile-divergente-cu-chisinaul/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Serbia]] ([[Vojvodina]]),<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/etext.php?ID_mat=207 | title = Official use of languages and scripts in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina | publisher = Provincial Secretariat for Regulations, Administration and National Minorities | accessdate = 18 October 2010 | archive-date = 25 October 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201025083851/http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/etext.php?ID_mat=207 | url-status = live }}</ref> is a regional language in [[Bulgaria]], [[Hungary]] ([[Gyula, Hungary|Gyula]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-charter-regional-or-minority-languages/home/-/asset_publisher/VzXuex45jmKt/content/hungary-needs-to-strengthen-use-of-and-access-to-minority-languages?_101_INSTANCE_VzXuex45jmKt_viewMode=view/ |title=Hungary needs to strengthen use of and access to minority languages |publisher=[[Council of Europe]] |access-date=16 January 2019 |archive-date=27 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827104838/https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-charter-regional-or-minority-languages/home/-/asset_publisher/VzXuex45jmKt/content/hungary-needs-to-strengthen-use-of-and-access-to-minority-languages?_101_INSTANCE_VzXuex45jmKt_viewMode=view/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Serbia]] <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Timok Valley]] (both known as Romanian and "[[Romanian language in Serbia|Vlach]]")],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npld.eu/news/latest-news/60/latest-council-of-europe-report-on-regional-or-minority-languages-in-serbia-published-/|title=Latest Council of Europe report on regional or minority Languages in Serbia published|publisher=The Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity|access-date=25 June 2015|archive-date=26 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626134700/http://www.npld.eu/news/latest-news/60/latest-council-of-europe-report-on-regional-or-minority-languages-in-serbia-published-/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Ukraine]] ([[Chernivtsi Oblast|Chernivtsi]] and [[Odesa Oblast|Odesa]] [[oblast]]s)
*[[Russian language|Russian]], the official language of the [[Russia|Russian Federation]] and [[Belarus]], is a regional language of  [[Abkhazia]], [[South Ossetia]] and other entities.
*[[Tamil language|Tamil]], one of the official languages of [[Singapore]] and [[Sri Lanka]], is a regional language in India ([[Tamil Nadu]])
*[[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]], an official language of [[Eritrea]], is a regional language in [[Ethiopia]] ([[Tigray Region]]).
*[[Turkish language|Turkish]], the official language of [[Turkey]] and [[Northern Cyprus]], is a regional language of [[Kosovo]].

==See also==
*[[Minority language]]
*[[National language]]
*[[Languages of the European Union]]
*[[Languages of France]]
*[[Languages of Italy]]
*[[Languages of Spain]]
*[[Languages of the United Kingdom]]
*[[British–Irish Council]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://ppooii.com Regional language accessibility web tool ]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Regional Language}}
[[Category:Linguistic rights]]
[[Category:Linguistic minorities]]
[[Category:Concepts in language policy]]

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