Kaljski dialect recognized as protected cultural asset in Croatia

The Kaljski dialect, spoken in the town of Kali on the island of Ugljan, has been officially entered into the Register of Cultural Assets of the Republic of Croatia as an intangible cultural good. The decision by the Ministry of Culture and Media recognizes the dialect as a vital component of local identity and a significant bearer of cultural and historical heritage.

Belonging to the Central Chakavian dialect group, the Kaljski speech is distinguished by unique phonological, morphological, and lexical features, including various Croatian archaisms and Romanisms. The recognition follows long-term efforts by local educators, the University of Zadar, the Kali Public Library, and the Municipality of Kali to preserve the language.

Several digital initiatives have supported this preservation, including ‘Kalipedija,’ an online dictionary featuring approximately 3,500 words with audio recordings, and the ‘Kalamra’ project, which digitizes speech recordings from various generations. Additionally, the ‘Kualjska besida’ initiative works to encourage the use of the dialect among children and young people.