Ślōnskŏ gŏdka
Silesian
Indo-European (Slavic, West, Lechitic)
Silesian (Ślōnskŏ gŏdka, "Silesian speech") is a West Slavic Lechitic variety closely related to Polish but with substantial Czech, German, and dialectal Lechitic features. Long debated as a dialect of Polish vs. distinct language, Silesian has not been officially recognized as a regional language of Poland: parliament approved such recognition in April 2024, but President Duda vetoed the bill in May 2024, and a renewed 2026 attempt was likewise vetoed in February 2026 (Kashubian (csb) remains the country's only recognized regional language). The 2011 Polish census recorded 509,000 speakers (the largest self-reported regional/minority language in Poland). Silesian preserves the dual ě/i distinction and certain archaic forms, while extensively borrowing from German across centuries of Habsburg/Prussian rule (e.g., "fater" for father, "serwus" for hello).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Silesian
Water
woda
/ˈvɔda/
Fire
ôgyń
/ˈɔɡɨɲ/
Sun
słōńce
/ˈswoɲtsɛ/
Moon
miesiōnczek
/mʲɛˈɕɔ̃tʂɛk/
Star
gwiŏzda
/ˈɡvjɔzda/
Mother
matka
/ˈmatka/
Father
fater
/ˈfatɛr/
I
jŏ
/jɔ/
You
ty
/tɨ/
Name
miano
/ˈmʲano/
Eye
ôko
/ˈwɔkɔ/
Hand
rynka
/ˈrɨŋka/
Heart
serce
/ˈsɛrtsɛ/
Love
miyłość
/ˈmʲɨwɔɕtɕ/
Tree
strōm
/strɔm/
House
chałpa
/ˈxawpa/
Dog
pies
/pjɛs/
Cat
kot
/kɔt/
Eat
jeść
/jɛɕtɕ/
Drink
pić
/pitɕ/
One
jedyn
/ˈjɛdɨn/
Two
dwa
/dva/
Hello
serwus
/ˈsɛrvus/
Thank you
dziynkuja
/ˈdʑɨŋkuja/
Good
dobry
/ˈdɔbrɨ/
Cuckoo
kukawka
/kuˈkafka/
Computer
kůmputer
/kumˈputɛr/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Slavic, West, Lechitic) languages
| Meaning | Silesian | Polish | Kashubian | Lower Sorbian | Upper Sorbian | Macedonian | Czech |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ | voda /ˈvoda/ |
| Fire | ôgyń /ˈɔɡɨɲ/ | ogień /ˈɔɡɛɲ/ | òdżin /ˈwɛdʒin/ | wogeń /ˈvɔɡɛɲ/ | woheń /ˈvɔhɛɲ/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ | oheň /ˈoɦɛɲ/ |
| Sun | słōńce /ˈswoɲtsɛ/ | słońce /ˈswɔɲtsɛ/ | słuńce /ˈswuɲtsɛ/ | słyńco /ˈswɨntsɔ/ | słónco /ˈswʊntsɔ/ | сонце /ˈsɔntsɛ/ | slunce /ˈsluntsɛ/ |
| Moon | miesiōnczek /mʲɛˈɕɔ̃tʂɛk/ | księżyc /ˈkɕɛ̃ʐɨts/ | ksãżëc /ˈksɔ̃ʐɨts/ | mjasec /ˈmʲasɛts/ | měsac /ˈmʲɛsats/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛtʃina/ | měsíc /ˈmɲɛsiːts/ |
| Star | gwiŏzda /ˈɡvjɔzda/ | gwiazda /ˈɡvjazda/ | gwiôzda /ˈɡvjɔzda/ | gwězda /ɡvʲɛzda/ | hwězda /ˈɦwʲɛzda/ | ѕвезда /ˈdzvɛzda/ | hvězda /ˈɦvjɛzda/ |
| Mother | matka /ˈmatka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ | mëma /ˈmɜma/ | maś /maɕ/ | mać /matɕ/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ |
| Father | fater /ˈfatɛr/ | ojciec /ˈɔjtɕɛts/ | tatk /tatk/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ | otec /ˈotɛts/ |
| I | jŏ /jɔ/ | ja /ja/ | jô /jɔ/ | ja /ja/ | ja /ja/ | јас /jas/ | já /jaː/ |
| You | ty /tɨ/ | ty /tɨ/ | të /tɜ/ | ty /tɨ/ | ty /tɨ/ | ти /ti/ | ty /tɪ/ |
| Name | miano /ˈmʲano/ | imię /ˈimʲɛ/ | miono /ˈmjɔnɔ/ | mě /mʲɛ/ | mjeno /ˈmjɛnɔ/ | име /ˈime/ | jméno /ˈjmɛːno/ |
| Eye | ôko /ˈwɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈɔkɔ/ | òkò /ˈwɛkwɛ/ | woko /ˈwɔkɔ/ | woko /ˈwɔkɔ/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈoko/ |
| Hand | rynka /ˈrɨŋka/ | ręka /ˈrɛŋka/ | rãka /ˈrãka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | рака /ˈraka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ |
| Heart | serce /ˈsɛrtsɛ/ | serce /ˈsɛrtsɛ/ | serce /ˈsɛrtsɛ/ | wutšoba /ˈvutʃɔba/ | wutroba /ˈvutrɔba/ | срце /ˈsərtsɛ/ | srdce /ˈsr̩tsɛ/ |
| Love | miyłość /ˈmʲɨwɔɕtɕ/ | miłość /ˈmiwɔɕtɕ/ | lubota /luˈbɔta/ | lubosć /ˈlubɔɕtɕ/ | lubosć /ˈlubɔstɕ/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ | láska /ˈlaːska/ |
| Tree | strōm /strɔm/ | drzewo /ˈdʐɛvɔ/ | drzewo /ˈdʐɛvɔ/ | bom /bɔm/ | štom /ʃtɔm/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ | strom /strom/ |
| House | chałpa /ˈxawpa/ | dom /dɔm/ | chëcz /xɨtʃ/ | dom /dɔm/ | dom /dom/ | куќа /ˈkutɕa/ | dům /duːm/ |
| Dog | pies /pjɛs/ | pies /pjɛs/ | pies /pjɛs/ | pjas /pʲas/ | pos /pɔs/ | куче /ˈkutʃɛ/ | pes /pɛs/ |
| Cat | kot /kɔt/ | kot /kɔt/ | kòt /kʷɔt/ | kócka /ˈkɛtska/ | kóčka /ˈkʊtʃka/ | мачка /ˈmatʃka/ | kočka /ˈkotʃka/ |
| Eat | jeść /jɛɕtɕ/ | jeść /jɛɕtɕ/ | jesc /jɛsts/ | jěsć /jɛɕtɕ/ | jěsć /jɛstɕ/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ | jíst /jiːst/ |
| Drink | pić /pitɕ/ | pić /pitɕ/ | pic /pits/ | piś /piɕ/ | pić /pitɕ/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ | pít /piːt/ |
| One | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | jaden /ˈjadɛn/ | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ |
| Two | dwa /dva/ | dwa /dva/ | dwa /dva/ | dwa /dva/ | dwaj /dwaj/ | два /dva/ | dva /dva/ |
| Hello | serwus /ˈsɛrvus/ | cześć /tʂɛɕtɕ/ | witôj /ˈvitwɔj/ | witaj /ˈvitaj/ | witaj /ˈvitaj/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ | ahoj /ˈaɦoj/ |
| Thank you | dziynkuja /ˈdʑɨŋkuja/ | dziękuję /dʑɛŋˈkujɛ/ | dzãki /ˈdzɔ̃ki/ | źěkujom se /ˈdʑɛkujɔm sɛ/ | dźakuju so /ˈdʑakuju sɔ/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ | děkuji /ˈɟɛkuji/ |
| Good | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobri /ˈdɔbri/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ | dobrý /ˈdobriː/ |
| Cuckoo | kukawka /kuˈkafka/ | kukułka /kuˈkuwka/ | kùkówka /kuˈkovka/ | kukawa /ˈkukawa/ | kokula /ˈkɔkula/ | кукавица /kuˈkavitsa/ | kukačka /ˈkukatʃka/ |
| Computer | kůmputer /kumˈputɛr/ | komputer /kɔmˈpu.tɛr/ | kómpùter /ˈkompwutɛr/ | computer /ˈkɔmpjutɛr/ | kompjuter /ˈkɔmpjutɛr/ | компјутер /kɔmˈpjutɛr/ | počítač /ˈpotʃiːtatʃ/ |
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