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The UpperSorbianLanguage is a SorbianLanguage of Germany. SIL code: WEN. ISO 639-2: wen. Population: 55,000 (1991 Elle). 15,000 are reported to be primary users. 40,000 to 45,000 others have some knowledge of it (1996). Region: Upper Saxony, eastern Germany, principal towns Bautzen (Budysin, Catholic) and Kamenz (Protestant). Perhaps a few in Texas, USA. Alternate names: OBERSORBISCH, HAUT SORABE, UPPER LUSATIAN, WENDISH, HORNJOSERBSKI, HORNOSERBSKI. Dialects: BAUTZEN, KAMENZ. Comments: Nearly all are bilingual in German. Mainly older speakers. Most of the monolinguals are the very young (Stephens 1976). Zgusta (1974) says Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian are two standard languages. Use of Sorbian is authorized in local government and schools. Increasing literature production. Now accepted as a minority language. Newspapers, radio programs, TV. Bible 1728-1797.(extract from http://www.ethnologue.com/)
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