Mowa Górnoślązaków oraz ich świadomość językowa i etniczna

Abstract

The work consists o f three chapters. Chapter I, entitled Language and identification. Ethnic awareness o f the population o f Upper Silesia, presented historical, social and cultural factors determining the sense o f Silesian identity and identification o f Upper Silesians. Historical determinants covered the period o f industrialization o f Upper Silesia, namely XlXth and XXth century. The main focus was on the events important to Upper Silesia such as plebiscite, interwar division o f Silesia, post-war return o f the whole industrial area to the Polish borders, and finally, transformations after the year o f 1989. What followed was a detailed description of the changes in the Silesian border and its national status, viewed in connection with the borderland phenomenon, which has a considerable influence on the identification o f the population o f Upper Silesia and their national conversion. An emphasis was put on the attitude Upper Silesians hold towards Polish and German identity, as well as the sense o f Silesian injustice, being directly related to the borderland-induced multi-ethnicity of the area. Chapter II, under the title o f The state o f the Silesian dialect at the turn ofthe XlXth and XXth century and its perception among researchers and users, was devoted to a description o f three varieties o f the language in the industrial area o f Upper Silesia, i.e. the Silesian dialect, the local dialect, created on the basis of the Silesian dialect, and idiolect, containing elements o f the former one. This chapter presented the actual state o f the Silesian dialect and its other varieties, taking into consideration the context o f an act of communication. All the language systems were discussed, however, most o f the onus fell on lexis, Germanisms included, considered the most typical of the region under investigation. In the last chapter, Perceptions o f a Silesian - past and present, an interpretation o f the phenomenon o f the Silesian identity in the context o f a stereotype and prototype was made. Additionally, a discussion on typical elements for the Silesian identification and speech as one o f its components was summarized. On account o f a progressive process o f dialect vanishment, the work is an attempt to retain those elusive and seldom written texts in the Silesian dialect.