Crnogorski jezik između srpskog i crnogorskog nacionalizma
Montenegrin between Serbian and Montenegrin Nationalism

Author(s): Rajka Glušica
Subject(s): South Slavic Languages
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: Montenegrin language; Serbian and Montenegrin nationalism; the controversy about the language;
Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the controversy about the Montenegrin language, created, on one side, by the Serbian linguist‑nationalists who have constantly been denying the Montenegrin language, and on the other, Montenegrin nationalists speaking of the nonscientific structure of the Montenegrin language as an indigenous and separate language. Both sides see the language as the basic feature of national identity, and according to those belonging to the former group the existence of the common language, Serbian, proves that the Montenegrins are the Serbs, while others think that different people must have different languages, and for that reason have been trying to make as much difference, not only between the Montenegrin and Serbian, but also between other standard languages created as New Shtokavian. The author points out that both groups allowed their personal interests to prevail over science and scientific arguments, which resulted in the fact that polemics were replaced by arbitrariness, forgeries, half‑ truths, often ignorance, and, unfortunately, very often, severe insults. The paper discusses the stance of the “moderate” linguists who do not belong to the nationalist ideologies, but have been trying to adhere to scientific facts and highlight the deleterious effects of any nationalism, even in the language that has become a direct target for both sides.

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