Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples and Civic Diplomacy "Young Karelia" ("Nuori Karjala") is
Also Known As:
Vepsian, vepsä, вепсский язык, lüüd, vesj, chudj, Wepsisch, vepse, lüd, vepsy, Vepsä, Vepsisch, l΄üd'ikel΄, vepsskij jazyk, Chudy, Chuhari, Chukhari, vepsän kel’
Dialects & Varieties
- Southern Veps
- Prionezh
- Central Veps
The Veps language in Russia: ELDIA Case-Specific Report
The Veps language in Russia: ELDIA Case-Specific Report
Severely Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,613
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 4
Less than half of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing at an accelerated pace.
4
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 5
Used only in a few very specific domains, such as in ceremonies, songs, prayer, proverbs, or certain limited domestic activities.
5
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
5,936
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
"The language is mostly taught as a voluntary subject, and not used as a language of instruction."
Location and Context
Countries
Russia
Location Description
Northwest Russia: Republic of Karelia, Leningrad oblast, Vologda oblast
Government Support
Official in Karelia, official minority status as an “Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the Russian Federation” since 2001, officially an “Indigenous Small-Numbered People of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation” since 2006
Institutional Support
TV and radio broadcasts in Karelia, Veps Culture Society, summer camps, taught in 6 schools, language nest in 2013 in Šoutjärv
Speakers' Attitude
Mixed
Other Languages Used By The Community
Russian, Karelian
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
Education, media, law, church services
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
Latin
Other writing systems used:
Cyrillic
Comments on writing systems:
“Similarly to the first standard, the present literary standard is primarily based on the Central Veps dialects and written in Latin orthography. The choice of the Latin alphabet is somewhat problematic, as it makes the Veps literary language alien to especially those fluent elderly speakers, who are literate only in Cyrillic script.”
Recent Resources
Language in Society
Language in the Community
Language Revitalization, Education, and Learning
The NT texts and some audio mp3 files (Luke, 1 John) and the NT texts as Sword/Xiphos Bible search p
The collection of links containing texts written in Veps.