Kashubian language
| Kashubian | |
|---|---|
| kaszëbsczi (jãzëk) kaszëbskô mòwa | |
A sign saying witómë (welcome) in Kashubian in Wiôlgô Wies, 2024 | |
| Pronunciation | [kaˈʃɜpst͡ʃi ˈjãzɜk] [kaˈʃɜpskɞ ˈmwɛva] |
| Native to | Poland |
| Region | Kashubia |
| Ethnicity | Kashubians |
Native speakers | 87,600 (2021 census) |
| Latin (Kashubian alphabet) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Officially recognized as of 2005, as a regional language, in some communes of Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | csb |
| ISO 639-3 | csb |
| Glottolog | kash1274 |
| ELP | Kashubian |
| Linguasphere | 53-AAA-cb |
Kashubian is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010) | |
Kashubian (/kəˈʃuːbiən/) or Cassubian (/kəˈsuːbiən/; endonym: kaszëbsczi jãzëk; Polish: język kaszubski) is a West Slavic language belonging to the Lechitic subgroup.
In Poland, it has been an officially recognized ethnic-minority language since 2005. Approximately 87,600 people use mainly Kashubian at home. It is the only remnant of the Pomeranian language. It is close to standard Polish with influence from Low German and the extinct Polabian (West Slavic) and Old Prussian (West Baltic) languages.
The Kashubian language exists in two different forms: vernacular dialects used in rural areas, and literary variants used in education.