Talk:Kashubian language
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[edit] The number of speakers
The question in the Census was "What language do you use most often at home?". So even if we assume that the data from the Census are correct (which is doubtful for some reasons), then 53,000 is the number of people who often speak Kashubian at home rather than the total number of speakers. The total numer of speakers has to be considerably higher. This is why the estimate of 200,000 is better here. But I think it's a good idea to insert both figures. Boraczek 22:01, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Boraczek, 200 000 is nowadays not realistic, since it is quite difficult to find a person who can talk Kashubian fluently. And even if somebody is able to speak the language well, (s)he is very likely not to be doing so in everyday life, because of the pressure from the Polish-language majority. (I am a Kashubian speaker (revivalist), so I know this issue relatively well). 200 000 was indeed true some 50 years ago, after that there's been a very rapid decline in the number of speakers. Today, active users of the language are only: 1. the oldest generation 2. the revivalist movement, and they are definetely altogether not as numerous as 200 000.
The other thing is that the Census was ....ed up, many people were not allowed to declare Kashubian as the home language, and on the other hand many people who are only active users of Polish declared Kashubian, because they didn't want or weren't allowed to declare Kashubian nationality.
Despite that, the Census results are closer to the actual state than the 200 000 given by some activists/researchers. The sad fact is that due to the Polish policy of discrimination Kashubian is a dying language, with only a very small group of speakers among the youngest generations.
Pozdrawiam. UCZK 22:47, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Minor Edit
The link Slavonic language takes a long time to load because it has to re-direct to Slavic languages. I'm going to change it to "Slavic language," Slavic being the most conventional English term anyway.
Joe -- --Jpbrenna 02:14, 1 Feb 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Speakers in Canada?
Can someone provide a source for the presence of Kashubian speakers in Canada? The 2001 census does not even mention Kashubian among the scores of languages spoken in Canada.
Personal experience. I'm a descendant living in Wilno, ON. See www.wilno.org as a source. -zblewski
- I quote from the site: In Canada, the Kashub language is still alive after 147 years. This language is spoken by fourth, fifth and even a few sixth generation Canadian Kashubs, but it is a language that is on the verge of being lost forever. The Society feels that we may have approximately 30 years before the language disappears.
- That means that the youngest fully competent native speakers are probably in their fifties. By this logic, the infoboxes of languages like Italian, English, Chinese or German would contain more than 100 countries each. I do not think that the existence of one single formerly Kashubian speaking village provides sufficient ground for including Canada in the infobox. Unoffensive text or character 09:19, 28 February 2007 (UTC)
- I've always wanted to learn it from my great-grandparents, too. I am pretty proud of my heritage. I've gotten in contact with the Kaszub Society in Gdansk, but no reply.
