Karelian

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A language of Russian Federation

ISO 639-3
krl
Alternate Names
Karelian Proper, Karel’skiy Jazyk, Karely, Severno-Karel’skij, Sobstvenno-Karel’skij-Jazyk
Population

25,600 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Census includes Livvi-Karelian [olo] and Ludian [lud]. Population total all countries: 35,600.

Location

Karelia Republic; Saint Petersburg; Murmansk Province; Tver Province, mainly Tolmachi area, Maksatikha and Ves’yegonsk. Also in Finland.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Uralic, Finnic
Dialects

Northern Karelian, Novgorod, Southern Karelian, Tver (Kalinin). Ludian [lud] and Livvi-Karelian [olo] are separate languages.

Language Use

Many children learn the language but most if not all become more fluent in Russian [rus] and largely stop using the language later in life (2007). Many also use Russian [rus], but those over 50 have difficulty understanding it. Some also use Finnish [fin].

Language Development
Primer in Tver Karelian. Dictionary. NT: 2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Karelian
Writing
Cyrillic script, no longer in use. Latin script.
Other Comments

Two language nests started in 1999 and 2002 in northwestern county center of Kalevala (Salminen 2007).

Also spoken in:

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