Regional and minority languages in Europe explained

The various regional and minority languages in Europe encompass four categories:

The language of a community in one single country, where the language community is not the linguistic majority, e.g. Sorbian in Germany, or Welsh in the United Kingdom
The language of a community in two or more countries, in neither of which they are the linguistic majority, e.g. Basque in Spain and France, Sámi in Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden
The language of a community who are a linguistic minority in one country, even though they are the majority in a different country, e.g. Danish in Germany, Finnish in Sweden, or Swedish in Finland
Languages without any fixed territory, that are traditionally spoken in one or more countries, but which cannot be assorted to one specific region, e.g. the languages of Sinti and Roma, the Yiddish language, the Yenish language as well as Plautdietsch

Dialects and languages of immigrants are not included in the official definition of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

The European Union regards Luxembourgish as a minority language, too, as it is not an official language of the EU. Through June 13, 2005, the Irish language also had this status.

In recent years, some countries of the EU have begun assorting the status as a minority language to various sign languages.

Swedish (Finland Swedish), finlandssvenska
Inari Sami, anarâškielâ
Northern Sami, davvisámegiella
Skolt Sami, sää´mkiõll
Karelian (Livvi-Karelian language, livvinkarjala, and Karelian Karelian Proper - vienankarjala, suvikarjala and tverinkariela)
Finnish Romani, kaalengo tšimb/romano tšimb
Finland-Swedish Sign Language
Finnish Sign Language
Mishar Tatar (language of the Finnish Tatars)

Albanian
German (regional official language in Trentino-Südtirol)
- various Highest Alemannic German and southern Bavarian dialects (e.g. the Cimbrian language)
- Walser German (Aosta Valley and Piedmont)
Franco-Provençal
French (regionally an official language in Aosta Valley)
Friulian
Gallo-Italic languages
Greek (also Griko in Calabria and Apulia)
Catalan (in Alghero)
Croatian
- Molise Slavonic
Ladin (regionally an official language in Trentino-Südtirol; also insular occurrence in Province of Belluno)
Neapolitan
Occitan
Sardinian (regionally an official language in Sardinia)
Sicilian
Slovenian (regionally an official language in Triest and Gorizia)
Venetian
Romani

German, as an auxiliary language in a number of municipalities, mainly in Upper Silesia
Kashubian, also known as Cassubian, in Kashubia, Pomeranian Voivodeship; the language is taught up to A-level
Yiddish language
Lithuanian in the region bordering Lithuania
Romani
Slovak in the region bordering Slovakia
Tatar in the region bordering Belarus
Czech in the region bordering the Czech Republic
Ukrainian in the border area to Ukraine, as well as spoken by many immigrants
Belarusian in the border area to Belarus

German (minority language in Bosco/Gurin and Ederswiler)
French (official language)
Italian (official language)
Sign languages:
- Swiss-German Sign language
- Swiss-French Sign language, recognized in Canton of Geneva
- Swiss-Italian Sign language
Lombard language, varieties in Grisons and Ticino
Franco-Provençal
Yenish, recognized as territorially unbound language
Yiddish language, recognized minority language
Rhaeto-Romance; Romansch official language in Grisons
Romani, language of the Sinti; Sinti recognized as national minority

Irish, as a regional official language in Northern Ireland
Cornish, regional official language in Cornwall
Scottish Gaelic, regional official language in Scotland
- Scots Shelta
- Ulster Scots Welsh, a national official language in Wales
British Sign Language, regional official language in Scotland, recognised minority language in England and Wales

Manx, regional official language of the Isle of Man
Jèrriais, a Norman dialect spoken in Jersey and Sark, also known as Jersey Norman French
Guernésiais, a dialect of Norman French spoken in Guernsey
Sercquiais, a Norman dialect spoken in Sark

External links

Wiktionary minority language
Sicherung von Regional- und Minderheitensprachen Languages of Europe (map and table of the languages spoken in Europe, by Urion Argador)

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/report/EvaluationReports/SpainECRML2_es.pdf Europäischer Bericht zu Regional- und Minderheitensprachen
«Als von der Charta erfasste und geschützte Minderheitensprachen in der Schweiz gelten das Deutsch in Bosco-Gurin (Walserisch), Deutsch in Ederswiler (Jura), Italienisch in Graubünden, Italienisch im Tessin, Romanisch, Jenisch und Jiddisch.» https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20164000