Dialects of Polish
Polish dialects are regional vernacular varieties of the Polish language.
- Dialekt wielkopolski – Greater Poland dialect
- Dialekt małopolski – Lesser Poland dialect
- Dialekt mazowiecki – Masovian dialect
- Dialekt śląski – Silesian dialect
- Kaszubski – Kashubian
- Dialekty mieszane – Mixed dialects
- Nowe dialekty mieszane – New mixed dialects
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). 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 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. 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
- Southern Kresy, spoken in isolated pockets in Ukraine