Talk:Kashubian language

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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)

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)

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.