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{{breadcrumb | link1=[[Poland Genealogy|Poland]] | link2= | link3= | link4= | link5=[[Poland Languages|Languages]] }} ==Description== The languages spoken in Poland are <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Poland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#:~:text=Polish%20is%20the%20official%20and%20predominant, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref> <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Languages of Poland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref> <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Polish language," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref> * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language '''Polish'''] - the official and predominant spoken language. 97% of the population declare Polish as their mother language. 37 million (2011). ** one of the official languages of the European Union, also a second language in parts of neighboring Lithuania. * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_language '''Silesian'''] - spoken by 529,377 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubian_language '''Kashubian'''] - a recognized regional language spoken by 100,000 people in the northern regions of Kashubia and Pomerania on a daily basis. 108,140 (2011). * '''English''' - about 32% of Polish citizens are knowledgeable with English. Spoken by 103,541 (2011). The Minority Languages spoken in Poland are <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Languages_of_Poland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland#National_minority's_languages, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref> <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Languages_of_Poland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Poland#Household_languages, accessed 24 May 2023.</ref> * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_language '''Armenian'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarusian_language '''Belarusian'''] - spoken by 26,448 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_language '''Czech'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language '''German'''] - spoken by 96,461 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish '''Yiddish'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language '''Hebrew'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_language '''Lithuanian'''] - spoken by 5,303 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language '''Russian'''] - spoken by 19,805 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_language '''Slovak'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_language '''Ukrainian'''] - spoken by 24,539 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaim_language '''Karaim'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusyn_language '''Rusyn'''] - also referred to as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemkos#Language/dialect '''Lemko''']. Spoken by 6,279 (2011). * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polska_Roma '''Polska Roma'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergitka_Roma '''Bergitka Roma'''] * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatar_language '''Tatar'''] - also known as '''Tartar'''. ==Word List(s)== * Allen, Will and Piotr Czajkowski. ''Polish : phrasebook & dictionary.'' n.p.: Lonely Planet, 2019. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1083165884 WorldCat]. * [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/polish.php#:~:text=Useful%20Polish%20phrases Useful Polish phrases] - Omniglot * [https://www.polishpod101.com/blog/2022/01/28/polish-beginner-phrases/ Most Useful Polish Phrases] - PolishPod101 * [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/kashubian.htm#:~:text=Useful%20phrases%20in%20Kashubian Useful phrases in Kashubian] - Omniglot Polish is a Slavic language related to Russian and Czech. It is used in genealogical sources throughout Poland. Before 1918, Polish-speaking territories were divided between Russia, Germany, and Austria. Records written before 1918 may be in German, Russian, Latin, or Polish. * In Russian Poland, Polish was the official language for vital records from 1808 to 1868. From 1868 to 1917, Russian was the official language. * In German Poland, most records were kept in German or [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]], though some were kept in Polish. * In Austrian Poland, most records were kept in [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin]]. Some records were kept in German and some in Polish. Most materials used in Polish research are written in Polish. You do not need to speak or read Polish to do research in Polish records, but you should know some key words and phrases to understand the records. Because the Roman Catholic Church was the predominant religion in Poland, many records are in Latin. Other languages in Polish records include German, Russian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Old Church Slavonic.<br> For word lists and help researching in Polish records, see: * [[Polish Genealogical Word List|Polish Genealogical Word List]] * [[German Genealogical Word List|German Genealogical Word List]] * [[Russian Genealogical Word List|Russian Genealogical Word List]] * [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List]] ==Alphabet and Pronunciation== '''Alphabet''' * [https://omniglot.com/writing/polish.htm#:~:text=Polish%20alphabet Polish alphabet] - Omniglot ** [https://omniglot.com/conscripts/polishcyrillic2.htm#:~:text=Polish%20Cyrillic Polish Cyrillic] - Omniglot * [https://omniglot.com/writing/silesian.php#:~:text=Silesian%20alphabet Silesian alphabet] - Omniglot * [https://omniglot.com/writing/kashubian.htm#:~:text=Kashubian%20alphabet Kashubian alphabet] - Omniglot * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubian_alphabet Kashubian alphabet] - Wikipedia '''Pronunciation''' * [https://omniglot.com/writing/polish.htm#:~:text=Polish%20alphabet%20and%20pronunciation Polish pronunciation] - Omniglot ** [https://forvo.com/languages/pl/ Polish pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo * [https://omniglot.com/writing/silesian.php#:~:text=Silesian%20alphabet%20and%20pronunciation Silesian pronunciation]-Omniglot ** [https://forvo.com/languages/szl/ Silesian pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo * [https://omniglot.com/writing/kashubian.htm#:~:text=Kashubian%20alphabet%20(kasz%C3%ABbscz%C3%A9%20abecad%C5%82o)%20and%20pronunciation Kashubian pronunciation] - Omniglot ** [https://forvo.com/languages/csb/ Kashubian pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo ** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashubian_alphabet#Pronunciation Kashubian Pronunciation] - Wikipedia '''''Pronunciation Guide'''''<br> :c = ts :ch,h = kh :ć,cz,ci = ch :ś,sz,si = sh :ż,zi,rz = zh :ą = om, on :ę = em, en :j = y :dz = j :ł = w :w = v ==Language Aids and Dictionaries== '''Dictionaries''' * Phillips, Janet. ''Oxford essential Polish dictionary : Polish-English, English-Polish.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/647230988 WorldCat]. * Gavira, Angeles and Angela Wilkes. ''Polish English visual bilingual dictionary.'' New York: DK Publishing, 2018. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1021246265 WorldCat]. * Grzebieniowski, Tadeusz. ''Langenscheidt's pocket Polish dictionary : English-Polish, Polish-English.'' New York: Langenscheidt, 1985. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/13186430 WorldCat]. * Roczniok, Andrzej. ''A Polish-Silesian dictionary.'' Zabrze: Narodowa Oficyna Śląska, 2012. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/214282915 WorldCat]. * Frymark, Stanisław. ''English-Polish- Kashub dictionary.'' Wilno, Ontario: Wilno Heritage Society, 2008. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/865875369 WorldCat]. * Jeliński, Marian and David Shulist. ''Kashubian-English-Polish dictionary.'' Żukowo: Fundacja Skansenu Pszczelarskiego, 2011. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/870335567 WorldCat]. * Kierst, Wadysaw. ''Concise dictionary, English Polish and Polish-English.'' Warszawa: Wiedza Powszechna, 1957. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/32044384 WorldCat]. * Kierst, W. ''English-Polish and Polish-English dictionary.'' New York, N.Y.: Saphrograph, 1956. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1663913 WorldCat]. * Pogonowski, Iwo Cyprian. ''Practical Polish-English, English-Polish dictionary.'' New York: Hippcrene Books, 1985. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/866012067 WorldCat]. * Stanisławski, Jan. ''McKay's English-Polish/Polish-English dictionary.'' New York: Random House, 1988. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/17353421 WorldCat]. '''Online Dictionaries''' * [https://glosbe.com/pl/en Dictionary Polish - English] - Glosbe * [https://glosbe.com/en/szl Dictionary English - Silesian] - Glosbe ** [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Silesian/Dictionary Silesian Dictionary] - WikiBooks * [https://glosbe.com/en/csb Dictionary English - Kashubian] - Glosbe '''Language Aids''' * Fokker, A. A. and Emilia Smolikowska. ''Anatomy of a word-class : A chapter of Polish grammar.'' Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2018. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1076466607 WorldCat]. * Bartonlini-Salimbeni, Beth. ''Italian grammar for dummies.'' Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/853548813 WorldCat]. * Makurat H. ''The Grammar of the Kashubian Language.'' n.p.: n.p., 2018. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/7991879682 WorldCat]. ==Additional Resources== * ''Polish for beginners : a comprehensive guide for learning the Polish language fast.'' n.p.: n.p., 2020. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1251927460 WorldCat]. * Miłkowski, Marcin, Georg Rehm, and Hans Uszkoreit. ''The Polish language in the digital age.'' Berlin: Springer, 2012. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/808123448 WorldCat]. * Shea, Jonathan D. ''Russian language documents from Russian Poland : a translation manual for genealogists.'' Unlimited, Buffalo Grove, Ill.: Genun Publishers, 1989. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/21158243 WorldCat]. * [[Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries|Poland Encyclopedias and Dictionaries]] '''''Lessons on Handwriting''''' '''Handwriting Lessons on FamilySearch Learning Center:'''<br> *'''[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar - 10 classes]''' *[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/german-paleography-seminar-introduction German Paleography Seminar] - Lessons on German Handwriting *Old German Script **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-1 Part 1] **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-part-2 Part 2] **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/old-german-script-german-church-and-civil-records-part-3 Part 3 (German Church and Civil Records)] *'''Reading Russian Handwriting''' **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/reading-russian-documents-the-russian-alphabet Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet] *'''Additional Russian Paleography Classes''' **[http://www.russianforeveryone.com/RufeA/Lessons/Introduction/Alphabet/Alphabet.htm Russian for Everyone: The Russian Alphabet] **[https://www.sggee.org/research/rus_translate/Cyrillic_Handouts.pdf SGGEE Cyrillic Handout.pdf] for months and numbers in Russian cursive. *'''Latin in German Church Records''' **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/latin-for-genealogists Latin for Genealogists] Polish grammar may affect the way names appear in genealogical records. For example, names of your ancestors will vary from record to record in Polish. For help in understanding name variations, see [[Poland Naming Customs|Naming Customs]]. == References == {{reflist}} [[pt:Línguas e Linguagem da Polônia]][[fr:Pologne Langue et Langages]] [[Category:Poland Language and Handwriting]] [[Category:Language and Handwriting]]