Slovincian language
Slovincian (Slovincian: Slɵvjĩnsħï, [slɵˈvʲiɲɕi], Polish: Słowiński [swɔˈvʲiɲskʲi]) is the extinct language formerly spoken by the Slovincians living between lakes Gardno and Łebsko near Słupsk in Pomerania.
| Slovincian | |
|---|---|
| slɵvjĩnsħï ją̃zĕk | |
| Native to | Poland, Germany |
| Region | Pomerania |
| Extinct | 20th century |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | slov1270 |
| Linguasphere | 53-AAA-ca |
Distribution of the Slovincian language in the northwest of the Kashubian region at the beginning of the 20th century | |
Slovincian is an extinct language according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Slovincian is classified either as a language (first by Friedrich Lorentz, 1902/3), or as a Kashubian dialect (first by Lorentz, after 1903) or variant, with Kashubian itself being classified either as a language or as a Polish dialect. Slovincian and Kashubian are both classified as Pomeranian.
Slovincian became extinct in the early twentieth century. However, individual words and expressions survived until after World War II, when the region became Polish. Some Slovincians were expelled along with the Germans. Of those allowed to stay, a few elderly people had fragmentary knowledge of Slovincian until the 1950s.
It is disputed whether Slovincians actually used that name, given to them by the Russian academic Aleksander Hilferding, for themselves. The synonym Lebakaschuben is also used. Some scholars believe that Slovincians regarded themselves merely as Lutheran Kashubians and their language as Kashubian. Nevertheless, the name "Slovincian" prevails in literature and is also used officially, for example in Słowiński Park Narodowy (Slovincian National Park), a protected area on the Polish Pomeranian coast.