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 was officially recognized as a regional language of Poland in 2024, joining Kashubian (csb). 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
20 core words in Silesian
Water
woda
/ˈvɔda/
Fire
ôgyń
/ˈɔɡɨɲ/
Sun
słōńce
/ˈswɔɲt͡sɛ/
Moon
miesiōnczek
/mʲɛˈɕɔ̃t͡ʂɛk/
Mother
mamulka
/maˈmulka/
Father
fater
/ˈfatɛr/
Eat
jeść
/jɛɕt͡ɕ/
Drink
pić
/pit͡ɕ/
Love
miyłość
/ˈmʲɨwɔɕt͡ɕ/
Heart
serce
/ˈsɛrt͡sɛ/
Tree
strōm
/strɔm/
House
chałpa
/ˈxawpa/
Dog
pies
/pjɛs/
Cat
kot
/kɔt/
Hand
ryncka
/ˈrɨnt͡ska/
Eye
ôko
/ˈɔkɔ/
Hello
serwus
/ˈsɛrvus/
Thank you
dziynkuja
/ˈd͡ʑɨŋkuja/
One
jedyn
/ˈjɛdɨn/
Good
dobry
/ˈdɔbrɨ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Slavic, West, Lechitic) languages
| Meaning | Silesian | Polish | Kashubian | Upper Sorbian | Lower Sorbian | Macedonian | Czech |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ | voda /ˈvoda/ |
| Fire | ôgyń /ˈɔɡɨɲ/ | ogień /ˈɔɡɛɲ/ | ogniô /ˈɔɡɲɔ/ | woheń /ˈvɔhɛɲ/ | wogeń /ˈvɔɡɛɲ/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ | oheň /ˈoɦɛɲ/ |
| Sun | słōńce /ˈswɔɲt͡sɛ/ | słońce /ˈswɔɲt͡sɛ/ | słuńce /ˈswuɲt͡sɛ/ | słónco /ˈswʊnt͡sɔ/ | słyńco /ˈswɨnt͡sɔ/ | сонце /ˈsɔnt͡sɛ/ | slunce /ˈslunt͡sɛ/ |
| Moon | miesiōnczek /mʲɛˈɕɔ̃t͡ʂɛk/ | księżyc /ˈkɕɛ̃ʐɨt͡s/ | ksãżëc /ˈksɔ̃ʐɨt͡s/ | měsac /ˈmʲɛsat͡s/ | mjasec /ˈmʲasɛt͡s/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛt͡ʃina/ | měsíc /ˈmɲɛsiːt͡s/ |
| Mother | mamulka /maˈmulka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ | mëma /ˈmɨma/ | mać /mat͡ɕ/ | maś /maɕ/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ |
| Father | fater /ˈfatɛr/ | ojciec /ˈɔjt͡ɕɛt͡s/ | tatk /tatk/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ | otec /ˈotɛt͡s/ |
| Eat | jeść /jɛɕt͡ɕ/ | jeść /jɛɕt͡ɕ/ | jesc /jɛst͡s/ | jěsć /jɛst͡ɕ/ | jěsć /jɛɕt͡ɕ/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ | jíst /jiːst/ |
| Drink | pić /pit͡ɕ/ | pić /pit͡ɕ/ | pic /pit͡s/ | pić /pit͡ɕ/ | piś /piɕ/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ | pít /piːt/ |
| Love | miyłość /ˈmʲɨwɔɕt͡ɕ/ | miłość /ˈmiwɔɕt͡ɕ/ | lubota /luˈbɔta/ | lubosć /ˈlubɔst͡ɕ/ | lubosć /ˈlubɔɕt͡ɕ/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ | láska /ˈlaːska/ |
| Heart | serce /ˈsɛrt͡sɛ/ | serce /ˈsɛrt͡sɛ/ | serce /ˈsɛrt͡sɛ/ | wutroba /ˈvutrɔba/ | wutšoba /ˈvut͡ʃɔba/ | срце /ˈsərt͡sɛ/ | srdce /ˈsr̩t͡sɛ/ |
| Tree | strōm /strɔm/ | drzewo /ˈd͡ʐɛvɔ/ | drzewo /ˈd͡ʐɛvɔ/ | štom /ʃtɔm/ | bom /bɔm/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ | strom /strom/ |
| House | chałpa /ˈxawpa/ | dom /dɔm/ | chëcz /xɨt͡ʃ/ | dom /dom/ | dom /dɔm/ | куќа /ˈkut͡ɕa/ | dům /duːm/ |
| Dog | pies /pjɛs/ | pies /pjɛs/ | pies /pjɛs/ | pos /pɔs/ | pjas /pʲas/ | куче /ˈkut͡ʃɛ/ | pes /pɛs/ |
| Cat | kot /kɔt/ | kot /kɔt/ | kòt /kʷɔt/ | kóčka /ˈkʊt͡ʃka/ | kócka /ˈkɛt͡ska/ | мачка /ˈmat͡ʃka/ | kočka /ˈkot͡ʃka/ |
| Hand | ryncka /ˈrɨnt͡ska/ | ręka /ˈrɛŋka/ | rãka /ˈrɔ̃ka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | рака /ˈraka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ |
| Eye | ôko /ˈɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈɔkɔ/ | òkò /wɔkwɔ/ | woko /ˈvɔkɔ/ | woko /ˈvɔkɔ/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈoko/ |
| Hello | serwus /ˈsɛrvus/ | cześć /t͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ | witôj /ˈvitwɔj/ | witaj /ˈvitaj/ | witaj /ˈvitaj/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ | ahoj /ˈaɦoj/ |
| Thank you | dziynkuja /ˈd͡ʑɨŋkuja/ | dziękuję /d͡ʑɛŋˈkujɛ/ | dzãki /ˈd͡zɔ̃ki/ | dźakuju so /ˈd͡ʑakuju sɔ/ | źěkujom se /ˈd͡ʑɛkujɔm sɛ/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ | děkuji /ˈɟɛkuji/ |
| One | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | jaden /ˈjadɛn/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ |
| Good | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobri /ˈdɔbri/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ | dobrý /ˈdobriː/ |
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