Dlaczego nie „po swojemu”. Rozważania o społecznej roli i przyszłości wschodniosłowiańskich języków wschodniej Białostocczyzny

“Swoja mowa” differs from literary Belarusian language in phonetics and from Ukrainian language in vocabulary, which is similar to Belarusian. “Swoja mowa” gained the status of Podlachian literary micro language. Intellectual accomplishments of its creators cannot obscure the fact that the language did not gain many followers. In my opinion the reason for this situation is the lack of a particular social concept of the future, not of the past. The same can be applied to Belarusian language, although its speakers can at least theoretically rely on the new Belarusianisation policy in Belarus. On the other hand, “the plain language” has found a niche – praise of the countryside and rebellion against the polish-speaking high culture.