The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
SIL code: WEN
ISO 639-2: wen
| Population | 55,000 (1991 Elle). 15,000 are reported to be primary users. 40,000 to 45,000 others have some knowledge of it (1996). |
| Region | Upper Saxony, eastern Germany, principal towns Bautzen (Budysin, Catholic) and Kamenz (Protestant). Perhaps a few in Texas, USA. |
| Alternate names | OBERSORBISCH, HAUT SORABE, UPPER LUSATIAN, WENDISH, HORNJOSERBSKI, HORNOSERBSKI |
| Dialects | BAUTZEN, KAMENZ. |
| Classification | Indo-European, Slavic, West, Sorbian. |
| Comments | Nearly all are bilingual in German. Mainly older speakers. Most of the monolinguals are the very young (Stephens 1976). Zgusta (1974) says Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian are two standard languages. Use of Sorbian is authorized in local government and schools. Increasing literature production. Now accepted as a minority language. Newspapers, radio programs, TV. Bible 1728-1797. |
