The Scanian language (also Skånsk or Skånska) is the distinct language indigenous to the region of southern Sweden once known as Terra Scania, now the Swedish region of Skåne. Historically it was a dialect of Danish, as Terra Scania itself was part of Denmark. After Denmark lost the region to Sweden in 1658, the Swedish language became the official language of Swedish Skåne.
Today, Scanian is spoken in Skåne and in the Danish island of Bornholm by 1,500,000 speakers (1998 Scanian Regional Institute). The language is largely intelligible with both Danish and Swedish; as such, Swedes often call it "South Swedish", and Danes often call it "East Danish". The language is not officially recognized in Sweden, and the entire population in Sweden can speak and understand standard Swedish, albeit with a local dialectual pronunciation.
