Hrvatski jezik u Bosni i Hercegovini – život na rubu (egzistencija i perspektive)
The Croatian Language in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Life on the Edge (Existence and Perspectives)

Author(s): Matijas Baković
Subject(s): South Slavic Languages
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: Croatian language; Bosnia and Herzegovina; standardisation; perifery; existence; perspective
Summary/Abstract: The paper will consider the position of the Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina and attempt to answer the question whether Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be using Standard Croatian as prescribed by the authorities in Zagreb or if they should insist upon their own peculiarities resulting from specific social and political circumstances as well as a hundred years of separation from the homeland. What position should be taken with regards to numerous words of Turkish, Arabic and Persian origin making up the vocabulary of Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering the wide variety of words of German, Italian and Hungarian origin characteristic of the language spoken in different parts of Croatia? There are those who believe that the Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina should and must be separate in some of its language solutions from the Croatian language as standardised by the authorities in Zagreb. They subscribe to the view that the Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Croats themselves, are systematically neglected by the homeland, being used only for political point-scoring. On the other hand, the University of Mostar is the only university in Bosnia and Herzegovina teaching in the Croatian language as prescribed by the authorities in Croatia, invoking the unity of the Croatian people and language used by all Croats, regardless of their country of residence. The paper will try and clarify which position is the correct one, whether there can be only one correct position or the solution for Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in a different direction.

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