The second installment of our ‘Unearthing Small Languages’ series. In this series, we have a look at some of Europe’s smaller languages and look into some of Europe’s less-spoken, but very intriguing, minor languages.
Let’s get exploring!
Source: Canva
Võro
In the northern reaches of Europe, we arrive in Estonia, where Võro is spoken. Võro is a South Estonian language, and while it shares similarities with Estonian, it has its own unique identity. It has roughly 70,000 speakers, mainly in the South-Eastern part of Estonia.
Friulian
We spoke about Ladin before, so it is only fair we speak about Friulian, a close cousin. Nestled in the Venetian Alps of northeastern Italy, Friulian is a Romance language with a distinct identity and influences from nearby Germany and Slovenia as well as the Veneto dialect. Friulian has 500,000 speakers. That means around 60% of the region speaks it.
Shetlandic Scots
Our linguistic continues in the Shetland Islands, located to the northeast of Scotland. There, you'll encounter Shetlandic Scots, a unique variety of the Scots language with its own distinctive features. It is sometimes called ‘broad Shetlands’ or ‘auld Shetlands’. It is, of course, influenced by mainland Scots but also shares elements with Norn, a now-extinct North Germanic dialect spoken in the area.
Learning Shetlandic Scots is like stepping into a time capsule. It's a language that resonates with the history of the islands, from Viking influences to the rich maritime traditions of the area.
Sardinian
Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean, is not just known for its stunning beaches and rich history but also for its unique language, Sardinian. With a distinct character and a mix of Romance influences, Sardinian is the native language of about one million speakers. Along with Italian, many scholars consider Sardinian one of the Latin dialects closest to the original Latin that inspired them. Interestingly, Catalan (albeit a version of it) is still spoken in Alghero.
Frisian
Venturing north, we land in the Netherlands, where you'll discover Frisian. This West Germanic language holds a special place in Dutch culture and is spoken primarily in the Friesland province (no surprise there!). It is probably more correct to speak about Frisian Languages, than one unified language, but all together these languages can boast over 400,000 speakers in the Netherlands and – to a much smaller extent – Germany. Frisian has a rich oral tradition, and its speakers are proud of their linguistic heritage.
Gascon
Gascon, a Romance language from France… well, is it a language or a dialect? As with many languages, the debate on whether it is a language proper or a dialect, continues. It would, however, be fair to point out that Gascon is strongly related to Occitan. It does not have a lot of native speakers in its original areas of Gascony and Béarn and is considered ‘Definitely Endangered’ by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
Udmurt
Our journey now takes us to the Ural Mountains in Russia, where you'll stumble upon Udmurt, a Uralic language spoken by the Udmurt people. Udmurt is closely related to Komi and Permic languages, but it has its own distinct identity. With over 250,000 it is doing comparatively well for itself, but is of course under a lot of pressure from bigger languages.
Kashubian
This linguistic stop takes us to northern Poland, where Kashubian, a Slavic language, holds sway. Kashubian is the language of the Kashubian people, who have a strong sense of identity and are based in the Pomeranian region. It is recognized as a national minority language of Poland since 2005. It is fair to say Kashubian is one of the languages closest to Old Prussian, if one would be curious and inclined to hear what that could have sounded like.
Leonese
Wander into the northern region of Spain, and you'll find Leonese, a Romance language that has deep roots in the Iberian Peninsula. Leonese is like a bridge between the Spanish and Portuguese languages, with its own unique identity. When one thinks of a bridge between Spanish and Portuguese it is hard not to immediately think of Galician, but there are different influences to it, notably Asturias and the surrounding mountain ranges. This has around 30,000 speakers.
Occitan
In the border areas of Spain and France, and beyond, you’ll find what could be considered the language of the medieval troubadours. Occitan is the grand daddy of minority languages; a language from which so many dialects or languages have sprung forth from. It's spoken in regions like Provence, Languedoc, and Gascony, as well as over the border in Spain. The modern language closest to it is Catalan. Interestingly, Occitan is an official language in parts of Catalonia in Spain (in the Vall d’Aran) and in Piedmont in Italy (the so-called Valli occitane). Estimates of speakers vary immensely between 100,000 to 900,000 speakers.
Arvanitika
Arvanitika, a Greek-Albanian hybrid language, has its roots in the Arvanites, Albanian communities that migrated to Greece centuries ago, to be more precise during the medieval migrations. It's like a linguistic time capsule, preserving elements of both Greek and Albanian, particularly the latter. With over 50,000 speakers, Arvanitika is a testament to the enduring connections between cultures and the ability of languages to adapt and evolve over time while retaining their original elements. It’s closest “cousin” would be Arbëresh, a similar Albanian dialect in Italy.
Komi-Zyrian
In the Komi Republic of Russia, you'll encounter Komi-Zyrian, a Uralic language that's part of the larger Komi language family of languages. Komi-Zyrian has a rich oral tradition, and has just under 100,000 speakers. It is mainly spoken in the areas between the Ural Mountains and the Arctic Circle, and understanding it offers insights into the lives and stories of the Komi people.
Picard
Heading north in France, you'll find Picard, a Romance language that adds a touch of northern charm to the country's linguistic landscape. Picard is spoken in the Hauts-de-France region and further beyond. This language is also spoken in nearby Belgium (in the lower part of the Wallonie region).
Kurt, OLS Community Manager – Maltese