Belarusian Language: A Unique Blend Of Slavic Culture

Belarus has two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. However, Russian is the most common language used at home, with 70% of the population speaking it, compared to 23% for Belarusian. Russian is also the language used in genealogical sources. Belarusian is spoken in some parts of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine by Belarusian minorities in those countries. It is estimated that around 10% of the population uses Belarusian in their day-to-day lives, and it is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population.

Russian is the most common language used at home in Belarus

Russian is also the language of genealogical sources and is commonly spoken in Belarus. It is the mother tongue of 41.5% of the population, while Belarusian is the mother tongue of 53.2%. However, only 23% of Belarusians speak Belarusian at home.

The dominance of Russian in Belarus can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the country has a large Russian-speaking minority, and Russian is also the language of interethnic communication in the country. Additionally, during the Soviet era, Russian was favoured over Belarusian, and it was introduced as a mandatory subject in all schools. The influence of the Russian language and culture also increased due to the country's proximity to Russia.

Today, Russian continues to play a significant role in Belarus, with most official documentation and signage being in Russian. While Belarusian is taught in schools, it is often only a couple of days a week, and there are no universities in the country that provide a Belarusian-language education. As a result, the use of Belarusian has declined, and it is now primarily spoken in rural areas and by highly educated people.

Belarusian is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population

The Republic of Belarus has two official languages: Russian and Belarusian. However, Russian is the most widely spoken language in the country, with 70% of the population using it as their primary language. On the other hand, Belarusian is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population, but only about 23% speak it at home. This discrepancy can be attributed to various factors, including historical policies, cultural influences, and the role of Russia in the region.

Historically, the Belarusian language has faced challenges due to the dominance of Russian in the region. During the time of the Russian Empire, Belarusian was considered a dialect of Russian, and efforts for linguistic emancipation were blocked by the authorities. Later, under Soviet rule, policies aimed at Belarusization were implemented but were short-lived as they were replaced by a focus on Russian as the language of interethnic communication. The post-Soviet era saw a decline in the use of Belarusian, with it being associated with oppositional attitudes towards the Lukashenko regime.

Today, the use of Belarusian is mostly limited to rural areas and highly educated individuals. It is worth noting that a significant portion of the population speaks a mixture of Belarusian and Russian, known as "Trasianka". Additionally, Russian is the primary language of instruction in schools, and there are no Belarusian-language universities in the country. The decline in the use of Belarusian has led to concerns about its preservation, with some advocating for a revival of the language in education and cultural spheres.

Despite the challenges, there are signs of a growing interest in the Belarusian language, particularly among the younger generation. The recent political and economic conflicts with Russia may also influence the language situation in Belarus, potentially leading to a more favourable attitude towards the promotion and use of Belarusian. However, as of now, Russian remains the dominant language in the country, shaping the everyday lives of most Belarusians.

section sign% of Belarusians can read, write and speak Belarusian

The official languages of Belarus are Belarusian and Russian. However, the dominance of Russian in the country means that it is the primary language used in most aspects of public life.

Belarusian is an East Slavic language, descending from Ruthenian (13th to 18th centuries) and, before that, Old East Slavic (10th to 13th centuries). It is spoken in some parts of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine by Belarusian minorities in those countries.

Belarusian shares many grammatical and lexical features with other East Slavic languages, particularly Russian and Ukrainian, with a degree of mutual intelligibility between the three languages. Belarusian has 6 vowels and 39 to 48 consonants, depending on how they are counted. Its alphabet is a variant of the Cyrillic script, consisting of thirty-two letters.

In the first Belarusian census in 1999, about 36.7% of Belarusian citizens (around 3.7 million people) declared Belarusian as a "language spoken at home". However, 85.6% (6.9 million) claimed it as their "mother tongue". Other sources put the number of active speakers in Belarus at approximately 3.5 million.

According to a 2009 Belarusian government study, 72% of Belarusians speak Russian at home, while only 11.9% actively use Belarusian. The remaining speak a mixture of Russian and Belarusian, known as Trasianka.

Approximately 29.4% of Belarusians can write, speak, and read Belarusian, while 52.5% can only read and speak it. In 2016, only 13% of pupils in Belarus attended elementary schools where the language of instruction was Belarusian.

The status of the Belarusian language has changed over time. Before Belarus gained independence in 1991, it was known in English as Byelorussian or Belorussian. Since then, it has become known as Belarusian or Belarusan.

In the early 1990s, a Belarusization policy was initiated, aiming to increase the use of the Belarusian language in public life. However, this was rejected by large parts of society, and in 1995, a referendum was held in which 88.3% of participants supported an equal status for Russian and Belarusian. This effectively ended the policy of discrimination in favour of Belarusian, and Russian became dominant in public life.

Trasianka is a mixed language of Russian and Belarusian

Trasianka, from the Belarusian word for "low-quality mixed grains", is a mix of the Belarusian and Russian languages. It is spoken by a large part of the population of Belarus and is particularly common in rural areas. Trasianka emerged following the Second World War, when industrialisation led to a large number of people moving from villages to towns. These villagers brought their local dialects of Belarusian to urban areas, where Russian was the dominant language. The result was Trasianka, a mix of the two languages, which was then passed down to the next generation.

The name Trasianka is considered derogatory, and some scholars have suggested the term "Belarusian-Russian Mixed Speech" (BRMS) should be used in its place. Trasianka is seen as substandard and inadequate, and it has been stigmatised in favour of Russian, which is considered the neutral language in Belarus. However, some Belarusians are pushing back against this, and the use of Belarusian in public can be seen as a political statement.

The question of whether Trasianka is a dialect of Russian or Belarusian is a matter of debate. Some scholars claim it is a variety of Belarusian, while others suggest it could become a regional dialect of Russian. However, many laypeople see it as a mix of the two languages. Trasianka is used by Belarusians of all educational levels and age groups and is often spoken alongside Russian, which is usually the standard language.

Trasianka is not unique—many new language varieties emerge around the world due to extensive language contact. Similar mixes of languages include Surzhyk in Ukraine, a blend of Ukrainian and Russian, and Spanglish, which mixes American English and Spanish.

Belarusian is written in Cyrillic script

The Belarusian language is written in Cyrillic script. The modern Belarusian form of the Cyrillic alphabet was defined in 1918 and consists of thirty-two letters. Before the modern Belarusian form was standardised, Belarusian was also written in the Latin alphabet, the Hebrew alphabet, and the Glagolitic script.

The Cyrillic script was first used as an alphabet for the Old Church Slavonic language. The Belarusian alphabet is a variant of this script. Other languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet include Russian and Ukrainian.

The Belarusian alphabet has 6 vowels and 39 to 48 consonants, depending on how they are counted. The number of consonants increases to 48 when all consonant sounds, including variations and rare sounds, are taken into account.

Frequently asked questions