Texas Silesian
Encyclopedia
Texas Silesian is a language used by Texas Silesians in American
settlements from 1852 to the present. It is a variant of Silesian and a part of Opole dialect. The dialect evolved after Silesian exile around the village of Panna Maria
. It contains a distinctive vocabulary for things, which were unknown for Polish
Silesians
.
Texas Silesian is lesser influenced by German
because its speakers emigrated before the Kulturkampf
, which added a lot of germanism
s to the continental Silesian The language is tended by its speakers, but they know it only in the spoken form. Texas Silesian has not been replaced by English
because the Silesian
community is strongly isolated. Nevertheless, Texas Silesian has adopted some words from English.
One of the characteristic features of Texas Silesian phonetics
is so-called mazuration, which means that all cz, sz, ż are pronounced ts, wheareas in standard Silesian pronunciation they are tʂ. Texas Silesian has given the name for Cestohowa village in Texas
- the name is derived from Polish
Częstochowa
, but, due to this phonetic process, cz became c.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
settlements from 1852 to the present. It is a variant of Silesian and a part of Opole dialect. The dialect evolved after Silesian exile around the village of Panna Maria
Panna Maria, Texas
Panna Maria is a small unincorporated community in Karnes County, Texas, United States. It is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States. A Franciscan missionary, Father Leopold Moczygemba, started recruiting Upper Silesians in 1852, when Silesia was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The...
. It contains a distinctive vocabulary for things, which were unknown for Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Silesians
Silesians
Silesians , are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. A small diaspora community also exists in Karnes County, Texas in the USA....
.
Texas Silesian is lesser influenced by German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
because its speakers emigrated before the Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
, which added a lot of germanism
Germanism
Germanism can mean or be confused with any of the following:* German loan words and expressions in English* Pan-Germanism* Germanisation* Germanism...
s to the continental Silesian The language is tended by its speakers, but they know it only in the spoken form. Texas Silesian has not been replaced by English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
because the Silesian
Silesians
Silesians , are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. A small diaspora community also exists in Karnes County, Texas in the USA....
community is strongly isolated. Nevertheless, Texas Silesian has adopted some words from English.
One of the characteristic features of Texas Silesian phonetics
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
is so-called mazuration, which means that all cz, sz, ż are pronounced ts, wheareas in standard Silesian pronunciation they are tʂ. Texas Silesian has given the name for Cestohowa village in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- the name is derived from Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
, but, due to this phonetic process, cz became c.
Typical words unlike Silesian
| Texas Silesian | Silesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| turbacyjo | ńyprzileżytość | problem |
| zaszanować | zaszparować | to save money |
| kapudrok | zalůńik | frock coat |
| furgocz | fliger | aeroplane |
| szczyrkowa | no native word | rattlesnake |
| po warszawsku | po polsku | in Polish |
| prastarzik | staroszek | great-grandfather |
| ćeżko | fest | very |
| kole tego | uo tym | about that |
| pokłoud | gipsdeka | ceiling |
| bejbik | bajtel | baby |
| kara | autok | car |
| wjater | luft | air |
| korn | kukurzica | corn |
| farmjyrz | gospodorz | farmer |
| plumzy, piczesy | fyrcichy | peaches |
| garce | buncloki | pots |