Писемна традиція Північного Підляшшя: говірка чи літературна мікромова?

This study analyses the Northern Podlasie tradition of producing texts in dialect or oriented toward dialect. This tradition has emerged primarily due to the region's enclavisation, characterized by limited connections to mainland Ukraine, as well as the local population’s awareness of their distinct identity and connection to a clearly defined, restricted area of cultural activity. Today, in Northern Podlasie, there is a notable thematic and genre expansion in the use of Podlasie dialects across various functional styles, including literary, journalistic, general-audience, and epistolary texts. Attempts are being made to standardise dialectal writing, using either the Cyrillic or Latin alphabet, although no unified orthography has yet been established. Analysis of local dialectal features in texts produced by representatives of diverse Northern Podlasie dialects indicates an orientation toward the local language environment and confirms that a single, cohesive local literary idiom has not yet been fully formed. The tradition of writing in Northern Podlasie dialects serves as a means of sustaining the dialect’s vitality and supporting its ongoing internal development.

enclave dialects, Northern Podlasie dialects, local written tradition, literary idiom, texts written in dialect.