Dialects of Polish
Overview of dialects of the Polish language / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Polish dialects are regional vernacular varieties of the Polish language.
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Four major dialect groups are typically recognized, each primarily associated with a particular geographical region, and often further subdivided into subdialectal groups (termed gwara in Polish).[1][2] They are:
- Greater Polish, spoken in the west
- Lesser Polish, spoken in the south and southeast
- Masovian, spoken throughout the central and eastern parts of the country
- Silesian[3][4] spoken in the southwest (sometimes also considered a separate language, see comment below)
The regional differences correspond mainly to old ethnic or tribal divisions from around a thousand years ago. As a result of 19th century measures taken by occupying powers, of expulsions plus other displacements of Poles during and after World War II, as well as language policy in the Polish People's Republic, supplemented by broadcast media, the Polish language became more homogeneous than ever before in the second half of the 20th century.
Traditionally two additional dialect groups were treated alongside the aforementioned, adding to a total of six.[5] These varieties have been put at risk of extinction due to historic geopolitical population movements. They are:
- Northern Kresy, spoken along the border between Lithuania and Belarus[citation needed]
- Southern Kresy, spoken in isolated pockets in Ukraine[citation needed]