On the Situation of the Ukrainian Dialect in Kalników Near Przemyśl

Abstract

The article describes the situation of the Ukrainian dialect spoken along the River San in Kalników (the Podkarpackie Province). The village is mostly inhabited by the autochthonous population of Ukrainian origin. The repatriation in 1946 and the compulsory Akcja Wisła in 1947 resulted in mass removal of the population to the USSR and the Regained Territories. Contrary to the neighboring villages that were severely affected by those two displacements, a considerable proportion of the original inhabitants remained in Kalników.

The Ukrainian dialect is at present used by the older and middle-aged generation, as well as by young people. The youngest generation (children) usually speaks Polish and their command of the Ukrainian dialect is poor. Development of this situation is a result of the ever greater influence of the Polish language that becomes the main factor determining the place and range of the use of the dialect.

The dialect material obtained from the oldest subjects (60-80 years of age) presents some chosen characteristics of the dialect and allows to recognize them as significant for the dialects spoken along the River San (south-west Ukrainian ones) that occur in Poland.