Languages of Ukraine

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Languages of Ukraine
UkraineNativeLanguagesCensus2001detailed-en.png
Native languages in Ukraine, 2001 census
Official
Indigenous
Minority
Foreign
  1. English
  2. German
  3. French
  4. Spanish
  5. Italian
  6. Arabic
Signed Ukrainian Sign Language
Keyboard layout
Source Census-2001

The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian, an East Slavic language of the Indo-European languages family. It is spoken regularly by 88% of Ukraine's population at home in their personal life, [1] and as high as 87% at work or study. It is followed by Russian which is spoken by 34% in their personal life. [2]

Contents

Language and daily life

As of 2022, 81% of the population of Ukraine speak the Ukrainian language in their personal life, at the same time 34% speak Russian, meaning that a significant portion of Ukrainian residents constituting 19% of people speak both languages regularly. [2]

2001 national census

According to the first (and so far only) population census of 2001, ethnic Ukrainians make up 77.8% of the population. Other ethnic groups are Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Romanians (including Moldovans) (0.8%), Crimean Tatars (0.5%), Bulgarians (0.4%), Hungarians (0.3%), Poles (0.3%), Jews (0.2%), Armenians (0.2%), Greeks (0.2%), Karaites (>0.1%), Krymchaks (>0.1%) and Gagauzes (0.1%). [3]

The following table gives the native languages (but not necessarily the languages spoken at home) with their number of speakers according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census: [4]

  1. Ukrainian (67.53%)
  2. Russian (29.59%)
  3. Crimean Tatar (0.48%)
  4. Other (2.40%)

Regional languages

Ethnologue lists 40 minority languages and dialects in Ukraine; nearly all are native to the former Soviet Union.

As a result of legislation entitled the "Bill on the principles of the state language policy", which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in August 2012, languages spoken by at least 10% of an oblast's population were made possible to be elevated to the status of 'regional language'. Whilst Ukrainian remained the country's only 'official' language nationwide, other languages, dependent on their adoption by oblast authorities, became accepted mediums of communication in education, local government offices, courts and official correspondence. [8]

In February 2014, the Verkhovna Rada abolished the law on regional languages. In spite of this, then Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign this decision. In October 2014 the Constitutional Court of Ukraine started reviewing the constitutionality of the law, [9] and on 28 February 2018 it ruled the law unconstitutional. [9] According to the Council of Europe, this act fails to achieve fair protection of the linguistic rights of minorities. [10]

On 7 June 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the list of minority languages recognised as endangered. [11]

Foreign languages

A survey conducted in July 2023 found that almost 44% of respondents, the vast majority, said they did not know English at all. At the same time, 26.9% of respondents said they could understand some words and simple phrases, but could not read, write or speak English at all. 19.2% of Ukrainians said they could read, write or speak some English, but not well. Among those surveyed, 7.5% can read, write and speak English, but not fluently. In contrast, only 1.1% of respondents are fluent in English. [12]

Surveys using alternative methodolgy

According to research data from the Kyiv National Linguistic University, currently not displayed on its website but preserved, in particular, on ‘accessed.on.Academia.edu’, [13] as of 2009, a somewhat different picture was observed in the use of Ukrainian and Russian languages in everyday communication by Ukrainian citizens.

Gallup Poll results underscore the prevalence of national language use over Russian; when asked in what language they preferred to conduct the Gallup interview, only respondents in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus overwhelmingly chose Russian. Ukraine and Kazakhstan retain larger Russian populations. In Belarus, where the interethnic differences between the Belarusians and Russians are minimal, Russian is one of the official languages. Ispol'zovanie russkogo iazyka grazhdanami eksSSSR v 2008 godu.gif
Gallup Poll results underscore the prevalence of national language use over Russian; when asked in what language they preferred to conduct the Gallup interview, only respondents in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus overwhelmingly chose Russian. Ukraine and Kazakhstan retain larger Russian populations. In Belarus, where the interethnic differences between the Belarusians and Russians are minimal, Russian is one of the official languages.

Also, earlier in 2008, according to Gallup Institute research, it was found that 83% of Ukrainian citizens chose to fill out (and did fill out) a questionnaire in Russian. [14] The methodology was that the survey was not related to the topic of language, but the questionnaires themselves were in three versions: in Russian, Ukrainian, and English. Thus, a result was achieved that was not related to the national or ideological identification of the respondents, with the results presented in the table above.

Historical facts

Language Composition in 1897
  1. Ukrainian (73%)
  2. Russian (11%)
  3. Yiddish (9%)
  4. German (2%)
  5. Polish (2%)
  6. Belarusian (1%)
  7. Romanian (1%)
  8. Other (1.00%)

Maps

All-Ukraine

Crimea

Language policy

In November 2016, a new rule came into force requiring Ukraine's radio stations to play a quota of Ukrainian-language songs each day. The law also requires TV and radio broadcasters to ensure 60% of programs such as news and analysis are in Ukrainian. [23]

In September 2017, Ukraine instituted a similar policy on languages in public education. The law required that schools use Ukrainian, the national language, in all classes that did not require a second language.[ citation needed ] The exception from this being language classes that would be taught using "English or other official languages of the European Union." [24] The new spelling version was adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in May 2019. [25]

See also

References

  1. Читомо (2023-02-28). "Понад 20% українців почали частіше використовувати українську мову". chytomo.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  2. 1 2 "Мова та ідентичність в Україні на кінець 2022-го". Збруч (in Ukrainian). 2023-01-07. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  3. Opinion on the law on Supporting the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the State language (PDF) (Report). Venice Commission. 9 December 2019. p. 3. CDL-AD(2019)038. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  4. "Table 19A050501 02. Distribution of the population of Ukraine's regions by native language (0,1)". Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  5. "Чисельність осіб окремих етнографічних груп украінського етносу та їх рідна мова". database.ukrcensus.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Database of State Statistics Committee of Ukraine . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  6. Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Ukraine – Languages". Ethnologue (22nd ed.). SIL International.
  7. Mankov, Alexander. "Slavonic Loanwords in the Dialect of Gammalsvenskby". Swedish Dialects and Folk Traditions, vol.141, 2018: 31.
  8. "Russian becomes regional language in three more regions in Ukraine". ukrinform.ua.
  9. 1 2 Constitutional Court declares unconstitutional language law of Kivalov-Kolesnichenko, Ukrinform (28 February 2018)
  10. "New Language Requirement Raises Concerns in Ukraine". Human Rights Watch. 19 January 2022.
  11. "Про затвердження переліку мов національних меншин (спільнот) та корінних народів України, яким загрожує зникнення". Official webportal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 7 June 2024.
  12. "44% of Ukrainians said they did not know English at all". 2 April 2022.
  13. "From Russification to Ukrainisation: A survey of language politics in Ukraine - New Cold War: Know Better". 2 June 2009.
  14. "Russian Language Enjoying a Boost in Post-Soviet States". August 2008.
  15. "ФОМ > Мнения и взгляды населения Украины в сентябре - октябре 2009 года". Bd.fom.ru. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  16. "Маркетинговые, социологические и политические исследования - R&B Group". Rb.com.ua. Retrieved 8 October 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. Poll: more than half of Ukrainians did not consider language issue pressing, Kyiv Post (November 25, 2009)
  18. "Опитування: більшість українців спілкуються вдома українською мовою". Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  19. The language question, the results of recent research in 2012, RATING (25 May 2012)
  20. "Українці стали частіше розмовляти українською". Українська правда. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  21. "КОНСОЛІДАЦІЯ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО СУСПІЛЬСТВА : ШЛЯХИ, ВИКЛИКИ, ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ : Інформаційно-аналітичні матеріали" (PDF). Uceps.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  22. "Соціологічне дослідження до Дня Незалежності: УЯВЛЕННЯ ПРО ПАТРІОТИЗМ ТА МАЙБУТНЄ УКРАЇНИ (16-20 серпня 2023)".
  23. "Ukraine imposes language quotas for radio playlists". BBC News. 8 November 2016.
  24. "New education law becomes effective in Ukraine". www.unian.info. September 28, 2017. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  25. "Міністерство освіти і науки України - Український правопис (2019)". Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2021-04-19.

Bibliography