Local language variants of Podlachian region as a component of the region’s intangible heritage

Gabriela Augustyniak-Żmuda

doi:10.32798/zl.1937

Published: 2025-12-15

Vol. 63 No. 2 (2025)

Local language variants of Podlachian region as a component of the region’s intangible heritage

Gabriela Augustyniak-Żmuda

Zeszyty Łużyckie

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.32798/zl.1937

Abstract

The article addresses the topic of local variants of the Podlachian dialect, analyzing them in the context of their status as language heritage and the processes leading to its marginalization and possible revitalization. This region, located at the crossroads of cultural and linguistic influences, has for centuries been a space of coexistence of various ethnic and religious groups – Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Roma, and Jews – which has contributed to the shaping of a complex linguistic landscape. The local dialect which is the result of centuries of linguistic interference, combines elements of Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian, constituting a unique example of living intangible heritage.

Supporting Agencies

The article was written as part of research conducted at the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, where the research project "Linguistic diversity in Poland: collateral languages, language-oriented activities and conceptualization of collective identity" (SONATA BIS, National Science Centre, project number: 2020/38/E/HS2/00006) is carried out under the direction of prof. Nicole Dołowy–Rybińska.

Keywords:

Podlachian region, local language variants, intangible heritage, qualitative and quantitative research

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Augustyniak-Żmuda, G. (2025). Local language variants of Podlachian region as a component of the region’s intangible heritage. Zeszyty Łużyckie, 63(2). https://doi.org/10.32798/zl.1937

Cited by / Share

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Agha, A. (2007). Language and Social Relations. Studies in the Social and Cultural Foundations of Language 24. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511618284
Google Scholar

AGWB – Atlas gwar wschodniosłowiańskich Białostocczyzny. (1980–2012). In S. Glinka, A. Obrębska–Jabłońska, J. Siatkowski, I. Maryniakowa (Eds.), Atlas gwar wschodniosłowiańskich Białostocczyzny (Vols. 1–10). Wrocław –Warszawa; Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk.
Google Scholar

Ahearn, L. M. (2017). Living Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. Wiley Blackwell.
Google Scholar

Anderson, B. R. O’G. (1991). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Revised and extended ed. London: Verso.
Google Scholar

Auer, P. (2005). A postscript: Code-switching and social identity. Journal of Pragmatics, 37(3), 403–410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2004.10.010
Google Scholar

Babbie, E. (2009). Podstawy badań społecznych (W. Betkiewicz, Tłum.). Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Google Scholar

Bamberg, M. (1997). Positioning between structure and performance. Journal of Narrative and Life History, 7(1–4), 335–342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/jnlh.7.1-4.42pos
Google Scholar

Barth, F. (2004). Grupy etniczne i granice. Społeczna organizacja różnic kulturowych (E. Nowicka, Trans.). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. (Original work published 1969).
Google Scholar

Barwiński, M. (2004). Podlasie jako pogranicze narodowościowo-wyznaniowe. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
Google Scholar

Barwiński, M. (2011). Ukraińcy na Podlasiu – geneza, kontrowersje, współczesność. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Geographica Socio-Oeconomica, 11, 123–144.
Google Scholar

Blommaert, J. (2010). The Sociolinguistics of Globalization. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511845307
Google Scholar

Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power (J. B. Thompson, Ed.; G. Raymond; M. Adamson, Trans.). Harvard University Press.
Google Scholar

Bucholtz, M.; Hall, K. (2005). Identity and Interaction: A Sociocultural Linguistic Approach. Discourse Studies, 7(4–5), 585–614.
Google Scholar

Czykwin, E. (2000). Białoruska mniejszość narodowa jako grupa stygmatyzowana. Białystok: Wydawnictwo Uniwersyteckie Trans Humana.
Google Scholar

De Houwer, A. (1999). Two or More Languages in Early Childhood. Research and Policy Issues. Washington, DC: ERIC.
Google Scholar

Edwards, J. (1994). Multilingualism. Routledge.
Google Scholar

Fishman, J. A. (1991). Reversing Language Shift. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Google Scholar

Gal, S. (2006). “Contradictions of Standard Language in Europe: Implications for the Study of Practices and Publics.” Social Anthropology 14 (2): 163–181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8676.2006.tb00032.x
Google Scholar

Grenoble, L. A.; Whaley, L. J. (2006). Saving Languages: An Introduction to Language Revitalization. Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar

Handler, R.; Linnekin, J. (1984). Tradition, Genuine or Spurious. The Journal of American Folklore, 97(385), 273–290.
Google Scholar

Hawryluk, J. (2001). Kraje ruskie Bielsk, Mielnik, Drohiczyn. Rusini–Ukraińcy na Podlaszu – fakty i kontrowersje. Bielsk Podlaski.
Google Scholar

Jaworski, A.; Thurlow, C. (Eds.). (2010). Semiotic landscapes: Language, image, space. Continuum.
Google Scholar

King, K. A.; O’Rourke, B. (2020). Family language policy and translanguaging in heritage language contexts. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(3), 340–351.
Google Scholar

Kondratiuk, M. (2008). Urzędowe i gwarowe nazwy miejscowości południowej Białostocczyzny. Miejscowości o dwóch nazwach. In M. Stepaniuk (Ed.), Gwary Północnego Podlasia. Bielsk Podlaski.
Google Scholar

Kroskrity, P. V. (2004). Language ideologies. In A. Duranti (Ed.), A companion to linguistic anthropology (pp. 496–517). Blackwell.
Google Scholar

Leeman, J.; Modan, G. (2009). Commodified language in Chinatown: A contextualized approach to linguistic landscape. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 13(3), 332–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2009.00409
Google Scholar

Łesiów, M. (2008). Ukraińskie gwary podlaskie: historia badań i najważniejsze cechy systemowe. In M. Stepaniuk (Ed.), Gwary Północnego Podlasia. Bielsk Podlaski.
Google Scholar

Matras, Y. (2009). Language Contact. Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar

Milroy, J.; Milroy, L. (1999). Authority in Language: Investigating Standard English (3 rd ed.). London: Routledge.
Google Scholar

Milroy, L. (2001). Language ideologies and linguistic change. In L. Milroy, M. Gordon (Eds.), Sociolinguistics: Method and interpretation (pp. 161–177). Blackwell.
Google Scholar

Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage.
Google Scholar

Ruiz, R. (1984). “Orientations in Language Planning.” NABE Journal 8 (2): 15–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08855072.1984.10668464
Google Scholar

Sajewicz, M. (2008). Zagadnienie przynależności etniczno-językowej prawosławnych mieszkańców powiatu hajnowskiego na Białostocczyźnie. In M. Stepaniuk (Ed.), Gwary Północnego Podlasia. Bielsk Podlaski.
Google Scholar

Shohamy, E. (2006). Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. Routledge.
Google Scholar

Silverstein, M. (1979). Language structure and linguistic ideology. In P. R. Clyne, W. F. Hanks; C. L. Hofbauer (Eds.), The elements: A parasession on linguistic units and levels (pp. 193–247). Chicago Linguistic Society.
Google Scholar

Silverstein, M. (2003). Indexical Order and the Dialectics of Sociolinguistic Life. Language & Communication, 23(3–4), 193–229.
Google Scholar

Smith–Christmas, C. (2017). Family Language Policy: Maintaining Gaelic in a Bilingual Family. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Google Scholar

Smułkowa, E. (1968). Słownictwo z zakresu uprawy roli w gwarach wschodniej Białostocczyzny na tle wschodnio-słowiańskim. Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich.
Google Scholar

Smułkowa, E. (2002). Pojęcie gwar przejściowych i mieszanych na polsko-białorusko-ukraińskim pograniczu językowym. In E. Smułkowa (Ed.), Białoruś i pogranicza. Studia o języku i społeczeństwie (pp. 336–345). Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
Google Scholar

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar

Wiśniewski, J. (1980). Zarys dziejów osadnictwa na Białostocczyźnie. In S. Glinka, A. Obrębska–Jabłońska, J. Siatkowski (Eds.), Atlas gwar wschodniosłowiańskich Białostocczyzny (Vol. 1, pp. 14–27). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk.
Google Scholar

Woolard, K. A. (1998). Language ideology as a field of inquiry. In B. B. Schieffelin, K. A. Woolard, P. V. Kroskrity (Eds.), Language ideologies: Practice and theory (pp. 3–47). Oxford University Press.
Google Scholar

Woolard, K. A.; Bambi, B. S. (1994). “Language Ideology”. Annual Review of Anthropology 23: 55–82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.23.1.55
Google Scholar

Wróblewska, A. (2014). Język podlaskiego pogranicza – między białoruskością a polszczyzną. Przegląd Wschodni, 14(1), 137–154.
Google Scholar

Gabriela Augustyniak-Żmuda

gabriela.augustyniak-zmuda@ispan.edu.pl
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9920-6663

Affiliation:

Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Slavic Studies Poland

Bio Statement:

Gabriela Augustyniak–Żmuda, PhD, assistant professor at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Linguist and researcher of cultural and linguistic borderlands, dealing with contemporary and historical conditions of language functioning in multilingual and peripheral contexts. Her academic work focuses on the analysis of linguistic biographies, with particular emphasis on individual and intergenerational experiences conditioned by historical and social processes. An important place in her research is occupied by the resettlement of populations to Poland after 1945 and its linguistic, cultural and identity consequences. Her research interests include Polish and Slavic linguistics, dialectology and sociolinguistics, including issues related to borderlands and language contacts, intergenerational language transmission, code-switching and the status of local language variants. Her reflections also focus on multilingualism and language ideologies, analysed from a social, cultural and narrative perspective. In her research, she combines qualitative and quantitative methods, using biographical interviews, discourse analysis and surveys, which allows her to capture the complexity of the relationship between language, memory, migration experience and identity.