Silesian language

Silesian, occasionally called Upper Silesian, is an ethnolect of the Lechitic group spoken in Upper Silesia. While having secured some international recognition as a language, there is a debate on whether Silesian is either a dialect of Polish or a distinct language, and if Silesians are either a regional ethnic group within the Polish nation or a distinct ethnic minority that historically emerged, but later diverged from, the Polish people. Some Silesians identify as a regional ethnic group within the Polish nation, while others view themselves as a distinct ethnic minority. Its vocabulary was significantly influenced by Central German due to the existence of numerous Silesian German speakers in the area prior to World War II and after. The first mentions of Silesian as a distinct lect date back to the 16th century, and the first literature with Silesian characteristics to the 17th century.

Linguistic distinctiveness of Silesian has long been a topic of discussion among Poland's linguists, especially after all of Upper Silesia was included within the Polish borders following World War II. Some regard it as one of the four major dialects of Polish, while others classify it as a separate regional language, distinct from Polish. The dispute over the status of Silesian is considered to be of purely political character. According to the official data from the 2021 Polish census, 467 145 people use Silesian on daily basis. Referring to Silesian as an ethnolect (which could be either a dialect or a language) has been recommended as a neutral term. Internationally, Silesian has been fully recognized as a language since 2007, when it was accorded the ISO 639-3 registration code szl.

Several efforts have been made for Silesian to gain recognition as an official regional language in Poland. Shortly before the 2007 election, the MPs of Samoobrona, LPR, RLN and PSL submitted a bill recognizing Silesian as a regional language in Poland, but the Sejm was dissolved before it could have been passed. Subsequent stillborn attempts were made in 2010 and 2012. In 2011, the ECRML recommended that Poland recognizes Silesian as a language. In 2014, a citizens' bill signed by 140,000 citizens was submitted to the Sejm, but was rejected; similar bills were voted down in 2018 and 2020. In 2023, another bill was prepared but was not voted upon because the Sejm's term ended and the election was called. In April 2024, the Sejm took a significant step by passing a bill recognizing Silesian as a regional language, but the bill was vetoed by President Andrzej Duda on 29 May 2024. In January 2026, the Sejm again once passed the bill recognizing it as such, but it was vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki on 12 February 2026.