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Polish dialects are regional vernacular varieties of the Polish language, and often show developments starting from an earlier stage of the language, often Old Polish or Middle Polish, namely the development of the so-called "pitched" or "slanted" vowels (Polish samogłoski pochylone).
Four major dialect groups (termed dialekt are typically recognized, each primarily associated with a particular geographical region, and often further subdivided into dialects (termed gwara in Polish).[1][2] They are:
The regional differences correspond mainly to old ethnic or tribal divisions from around a thousand years ago. As a result of 19th century measures taken by occupying powers, of expulsions plus other displacements of Poles during and after World War II, as well as language policy in the Polish People's Republic, supplemented by broadcast media, the Polish language became more homogeneous than ever before in the second half of the 20th century.
Traditionally two additional dialect groups were treated alongside the aforementioned, adding to a total of six.[5] These varieties have been put at risk of extinction due to historic geopolitical population movements. They are:
Often the usage of dialects are avoided due to negative associations and low prestige, and as such, there is often a preference for Standard Polish, and many dialects are slowly being abandoned. However, some are still widely used.[7][8]
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