Texas Silesian (Silesian: teksasko gwara) is a language used by Texas Silesians in American settlements from 1852[1] 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.[2] It contains a distinctive vocabulary for things, which were unknown for Polish Silesians.[3]
Texas Silesian is lesser influenced by German because its speakers emigrated before the Kulturkampf, which added a lot of germanisms to the continental Silesian[4] The language is tended by its speakers, but they know it only in the spoken form.[4] Texas Silesian has not been replaced by English because the Silesian community is strongly isolated.[5] Nevertheless, Texas Silesian has adopted some words from English.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 [t͡s, s, z], wheareas in standard Silesian pronunciation they are [t͡ʂ, ʂ, ʐ]. 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.[3]
| Texas Silesian | Silesian | English |
|---|---|---|
| turbacyjo[3] | ńyprzileżytość | problem |
| zaszanować[3] | zaszparować | to save money |
| kapudrok[3] | zalůńik | frock coat |
| furgocz[4] | fliger | aeroplane |
| szczyrkowa[3] | no native word | rattlesnake |
| po warszawsku[3] | po polsku | in Polish |
| prastarzik[3] | staroszek | great-grandfather |
| ćeżko[3] | fest | very |
| kole tego[6] | uo tym | about that |
| pokłoud[4] | gipsdeka | ceiling |
| bejbik[7] | bajtel | baby |
| kara[7] | autok | car |
| wjater[7] | luft | air |
| korn | kukurzica | corn |
| farmjyrz | gospodorz | farmer |
| plumzy, piczesy | fyrcichy | peaches |
| garce | buncloki | pots |
|
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