Ceska hovorovost a hovorova cestina
Czech Colloquiality and Colloquial Czech (in the Context of Other Slavic Languages)

Summary/Abstract: The term hovorová čeština [Colloquial Czech] has a very vague and inconsistent status in Czech linguistic terminology. During certain periods, Czech linguists were fixed upon it as if it were a redemptive ideal which would save the nation from the destructive Common Czech and other non-standard varieties. During other periods, it was called e.g. a “chimera” by other leading linguists. This paper attempts to relate the concept of hovorová čeština to other concepts, such as hovorovost [colloquiality], hovorový styl [colloquial style], spisovná čeština [Literary Czech], obecná čeština [Common Czech], mluvená čeština [spoken Czech], běžně mluvený jazyk, běžně mluvená čeština [everyday spoken language, everyday spoken Czech], standard, substandard [standard, sub-standard], variety of the national language or vrstva [stratum]: is Colloquial Czech a specific “stratum” of Literary Czech? In addition, the concept of hovorová čeština is related to close concepts which concern the situation of other Slavic languages, such as “hovorová slovenčina”, “hovorená podoba spisovnej slovenčiny”, “dońńęče dŕcăiaidiűe ˙çűę” or “język potoczny”.

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