Endangered Languages Project

Veps belongs to the Baltic-Finnic group of the Finno-Ugric languages. According to the location of the people, it is divided into three main dialects: Northern or Äänis-Veps, Central-Veps and Southern Veps. (The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire)

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’,
CLASSIFICATION		Uralic, Finnic
ORTHOGRAPHY		Latin
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		vep
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Southern Veps Prionezh Central Veps
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (8)

Information from: “The Veps language in Russia: ELDIA Case-Specific Report” . Ulriikka Puura and Heini Karjalainen and Nina Zajceva and Riho Grünthal (2013) Research consortium ELDIA

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,613
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
5,936
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Census data are not reliable. "There is no research available on the numbers of people understanding Veps despite not speaking the language.

DATE OF INFO: 2010 (census)

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"The language has lost its foothold in the families and is no longer used cross-generationally or intra-generationally… The domains in which Veps is used are very few and are usually restricted to the private spheres of life. Furthermore, children are no longer encouraged by their parents to use Veps. Parents might not consider learning Veps important, especially since knowledge of the minority language does not entail benefits or advantages in, for example, the labour market."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Mixed

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

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Russian
Karelian

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"The language is mostly taught as a voluntary subject, and not used as a language of instruction."

Scripts (Writing system)

Latin

Competing Orthographies

Cyrillic

More on Orthography

“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.”

PLACES: Russia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Northwest Russia: Republic of Karelia, Leningrad oblast, Vologda oblast

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: "The Veps villages have traditionally formed a network of villages beginning from the southwestern shores of lake Onega and spreading southward over the river Svir’ between the lakes Ladoga and Belozero."

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,640
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
5,940
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
census

DATE OF INFO: 2010

TRANSMISSION
SPEAKER ATTITUDE: positive
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
Scripts (Writing system): Latin

PLACES: Russia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Leningradskaya Oblast’ and Vologodskaya Oblast’; intermixed with Russian speakers, boundary area, Kareliya."

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,753
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6,355
Native speakers worldwide

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~6,000
Native speakers worldwide

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

In a couple of villages, some children learn the language, but many stop using it at school age.

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

In recent years Veps has been studied as a subject in local schools.

More on Orthography

Veps was used as a literary language in the mid-1930s and again in the 1990s.

PLACES: Russia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Northwestern Russia: Northern Veps is spoken in the eastern part of Onega (Prionezhskiy) County in the southeast of the Republic of Karelia in the Russian Federation; Central Veps is spoken in a larger area across the boundary of St Petersburg (Leningrad) and Vologda provinces, mainly in the southern part of Podporozh’ye County, the eastern corner of Tikhvin County and the northeastern part of Boksitogorsk counties in St Petersburg Province, and the western parts of Babayevo and Vytegra counties in Vologda Province; Southern Veps is spoken in the southeastern part of Boksitogorsk County.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,100
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
8,094
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
In 1979 38.4% of the ethnic population of 8,094, were considered to be native speakers which is approximately 3,100.

DATE OF INFO: 1979

PLACES: Russian Federation

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: The present-day habitat of the Veps is between the lakes of Ladoga, Äänisjärv (Онега) and Valgjärv (Белое озеро), where they live in three separate groups. The first, the Äänis- or Northern group is situated in Karelia, near Äänisjärv, to the south of Petroskoi. The Äänis-Veps call themselves lüdinik or lüdilainen. The Central Veps, the most numerous group. live in the St. Petersburg region of the Russian Federation, on the River Oyat. The Southern Veps live in the eastern part of the St. Petersburg region, on the northwestern edge of the Vologda province, on the River Leedjõgi. The Southern and Central Veps have infrequent contact, and the Northern Veps are separated from them by the River Süväri (Свир) and the interpolation of Russian settlements.

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
< 4,000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
8,240
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"According to the Russian census of 2002, there were 8,240 people living in the Russian Federation identifying themselves as Veps. ... The number of Veps speakers is even lower: a generally accepted estimation of the number in 2002 is less than 4,000 (see Grünthal, 2011)."

DATE OF INFO: 2002

DOMAINS OF USE
SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
SPEAKER ATTITUDE: "Pessimistic attitudes of individual Veps towards bilingualism result from the history of Russian and Soviet society. Bilingualism has not been valued in schools or at work. Even today officials may claim that, for example, mastering the minority language may affect mastery of Russian."
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: Law on State Support of the Karelian, Veps and Finnish
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: "The Law on State Support of the Karelian, Veps and Finnish languages in the Republic of Karelia (2004) declares the right to a free choice of the language of instruction, the right to learn the Karelian, Veps and Finnish languages and receive education in these languages (article 5)."
Scripts (Writing system): Latin

PLACES: Russia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Even today the main Veps area is situated between the Ladoga, Onega and Belozero lakes. Most Veps live in the administrative areas of the Republic of Karelia, the Leningrad and Vologda oblasts."

				2007	Europe and North Asia	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	211-282	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge				Tapani Salminen	Salminen, Tapani. 2007. "Europe and North Asia." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 211-282. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD		~6,000		1000-9999						In recent years Veps has been studied as a subject in local schools.		Severely Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	In a couple of villages, some children learn the language, but many stop using it at school age.	14	14		Russia	Northwestern Russia: Northern Veps is spoken in the eastern part of Onega (Prionezhskiy) County in the southeast of the Republic of Karelia in the Russian Federation; Central Veps is spoken in a larger area across the boundary of St Petersburg (Leningrad) and Vologda provinces, mainly in the southern part of Podporozh’ye County, the eastern corner of Tikhvin County and the northeastern part of Boksitogorsk counties in St Petersburg Province, and the western parts of Babayevo and Vytegra counties in Vologda Province; Southern Veps is spoken in the southeastern part of Boksitogorsk County.
0199255911				2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																					60.0,35.0
	Studies in European Language Diversity 25			2013	The Veps language in Russia: ELDIA Case-Specific Report				Research consortium ELDIA			https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/detail_object/o:315545	Ulriikka Puura and Heini Karjalainen and Nina Zajceva and Riho Grünthal			5,936	3,613	2010 (census)	1000-9999	Census data are not reliable. "There is no research available on the numbers of people understanding Veps despite not speaking the language.	Education, media, law, church services	Russian, Karelian	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	Mixed	"The language is mostly taught as a voluntary subject, and not used as a language of instruction."	TV and radio broadcasts in Karelia, Veps Culture Society, summer camps, taught in 6 schools, language nest in 2013 in Šoutjärv	Severely Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	"The language has lost its foothold in the families and is no longer used cross-generationally or intra-generationally… The domains in which Veps is used are very few and are usually restricted to the private spheres of life. Furthermore, children are no longer encouraged by their parents to use Veps. Parents might not consider learning Veps important, especially since knowledge of the minority language does not entail benefits or advantages in, for example, the labour market."	15	14	"The Veps villages have traditionally formed a network of villages beginning from the southwestern shores of lake Onega and spreading southward over the river Svir’ between the lakes Ladoga and Belozero."	Russia	Northwest Russia: Republic of Karelia, Leningrad oblast, Vologda oblast
		3rd		2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		5,753		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								60.3269,34.8046
					World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			6,355		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		18th		2015	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		5,940	1,640	2010	1000-9999	census		Russian [rus]		positive			Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13					Russia	"Leningradskaya Oblast’ and Vologodskaya Oblast’; intermixed with Russian speakers, boundary area, Kareliya."
	Working Papers in European Language Diversity		16	2012	Veps language: An Overview of a Language in Context			Laakso, Johanna		Mainz	ELDIA	https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/detail_object/o:105498	Puura, Ulriikka			8,240	< 4,000	2002	1000-9999	"According to the Russian census of 2002, there were 8,240 people living in the Russian Federation identifying themselves as Veps. ... The number of Veps speakers is even lower: a generally accepted estimation of the number in 2002 is less than 4,000 (see Grünthal, 2011)."		Russian	Law on State Support of the Karelian, Veps and Finnish	"Pessimistic attitudes of individual Veps towards bilingualism result from the history of Russian and Soviet society. Bilingualism has not been valued in schools or at work. Even today officials may claim that, for example, mastering the minority language may affect mastery of Russian."	"The Law on State Support of the Karelian, Veps and Finnish languages in the Republic of Karelia (2004) declares the right to a free choice of the language of instruction, the right to learn the Karelian, Veps and Finnish languages and receive education in these languages (article 5)."		Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	12		14	14		Russia	"Even today the main Veps area is situated between the Ladoga, Onega and Belozero lakes. Most Veps live in the administrative areas of the Republic of Karelia, the Leningrad and Vologda oblasts."
9985-936922				1993	The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire			Andrew Humphreys and Krista Mits				http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook		"The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire." edited by Andrew Humphreys and Krista Mits. Online: http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook.		8,094	3,100	1979	1000-9999	In 1979 38.4% of the ethnic population of 8,094, were considered to be native speakers which is approximately 3,100.							Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Russian Federation	The present-day habitat of the Veps is between the lakes of Ladoga, Äänisjärv (Онега) and Valgjärv (Белое озеро), where they live in three separate groups. The first, the Äänis- or Northern group is situated in Karelia, near Äänisjärv, to the south of Petroskoi. The Äänis-Veps call themselves lüdinik or lüdilainen. The Central Veps, the most numerous group. live in the St. Petersburg region of the Russian Federation, on the River Oyat. The Southern Veps live in the eastern part of the St. Petersburg region, on the northwestern edge of the Vologda province, on the River Leedjõgi. The Southern and Central Veps have infrequent contact, and the Northern Veps are separated from them by the River Süväri (Свир) and the interpolation of Russian settlements.

Veps

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,613

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,640

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,753

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,355

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~6,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,100

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

< 4,000

Discussion

Veps

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,613

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,640

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,753

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,355

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~6,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,100

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

< 4,000

Discussion

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