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Frantisek Sistek
Re: Three Cheers
for the Montenegrin Language (2)
Dear Mr. Moore,
I have several objections and comments
regarding your article entitled Three Cheers for the Montenegrin Language!,
published in the RFE/RL Balkan Report, volume 4, number 16, February
25, 2000.
I agree that the language differences in former Yugoslavia
have been exaggerated by various nationalists. The results are
often absolutely ridiculous. However, I believe that your
treatment of the recent memorandum of the Matica Crnogorska on
Montenegrin language in the article is unjust. The language,
known for decades as Serbo-Croatian, indeed has several
geographic varieties as well as several literary traditions.
I am not a philologist and do not therefore intend to discuss the
question whether the local variations should be treated as different
languages or should simply be described as dialects. The
fact is that Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks have in recent years abandoned
the old name and decided to call their language either
Croatian, Serbian or Bosnian. Since the name Serbocroatian
is no longer used and each of the ethnic groups which used to
speak that language adopted its own name for its version of that
language, the Montenegrins also have a right to choose a
name for the language they speak. They definitely cannot
accept that their language should be called Serbian. In the old
Titoist Yugoslavia, Montenegrins never raised any demands regarding
the language question. They supported the idea that
there is one common language, spoken by Montenegrins, Croats, Bosniaks,
and Serbs. However, since the idea that there
are more languages than one prevailed, Montenegrins decided to
call their language Montenegrin. In short, since the idea of a
common Serbo-Croatian language failed, there will now be four official
languages, although closely related and mutually
understandable. While some readers might be amused by your
comment "one wonders which "language" will be next to
emerge", it is not based on any evidence. There were four
ethnic groups which officially spoke Serbo-Croatian, and now
Croatians say they speak Croatian, Serbs speak Serbian, Bosniaks
speak Bosnian, and Montenegrins speak Montenegrin.
The logic is quite simple. It may be perhaps seem ridiculous
from the point of view of a West-European or American. It is also
possible that some day tendencies towards linguistic reunification
will appear again, but the fragmentation of the former
Serbo-Croatian language is an integral part of a larger historical
process and we must accept it whether we like it or not.
Uninformed readers of your article can get the
impression that the memorandum of Matica Crnogorska consists of just one
demand - to rename the official language of Montenegro as a step
towards greater independence from Belgrade. This,
however, is just one statement included in the document.
The change of the name of the official language in Montenegro from
Serbian to Montenegrin might have a symbolic importance, but the
primary concern of the memorandum of Matica Crnogorska
is a protection of Montenegrin cultural and literary heritage.
It, among other things, calls for an establishment of an institute for
the research of Montenegrin language. It also calls for greater
use of the authentic Montenegrin language in public life. To
understand these demands, one has to understand the problematics
of Montenegrin national and cultural identity, which has
been seriously endangered and threatened in the last 80 years.
The question of Montenegrin language cannot be viewed
merely as a question of renaming a language, neither a creation
of a new (artificial) language just for the sake of a politically
motivated differentiation between Montenegrins and Serbs.
Matica Crnogorska and many other Montenegrin institutions
(Montenegrin P.E.N. center, Dukljan Academy of Sciences and Arts
etc.) have a goal to use and cultivate the language
actually spoken in Montenegro instead of using the Serbian language
spoken in Serbia. The fact that they want to call it
Montenegrin is of secondary importance. It is also worth
noting that the memorandum of Matica Crnogorska clearly states that
Montenegrin language is a part of a common language system spoken
by Montenegrins, Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croatians.
These are some facts about the Montenegrin language, or Montenegrin
version of Serbo-Croatian, if you want. The language
spoken in Montenegro belongs to the ijekavica language group together
with the languages spoken in Croatia and Bosnia,
while the ekavica language group prevails in Serbia. It has
a specific vocabulary which is characteristic for Montenegro and
distinguishes the local language from Serbian spoken in Serbia
or Croatian spoken in Croatia. It also has its own literary
tradition + even larger oral (epic) tradition. Before the
occupation of Montenegro by Serbian troops and its annexation to Serbia
in 1918, the language spoken in Montenegro was an official language
of the Kingdom of Montenegro, despite the fact that the
term "Montenegrin" was not adopted at that time. After the
occupation of Montenegro in 1918, the use of the local language
was forbidden. It was replaced by Serbian language (ekavica)
as it is used in Serbia. The policy of the interwar Yugoslav
government towards Montenegro was characterized by repression of
its political, cultural, and national identity. The use of
Montenegrin language in public life was legalized only in June
1941, after the fall of royal Yugoslavia, by Italian occupational
administration. After WWII, the language spoken in Montenegro
could be freely used. However, the cultural pressure from
Belgrade existed and accelerated during the crisis which led to
the break up of communist Yugoslav federation. The current
Montenegrin constitution was adopted at a time when the political
life of that republic was firmly controlled by pro-Milo¹eviæ
leadership. Its language and cultural policies in the beginning
of 1990´s were dominated by Greater Serbian ideology. It is
therefore not surprising that the official language of the republic
was classified as Serbian at the time.
Western media began to focus on Montenegro only
recently. It may therefore seem that the questions of Montenegrin
national identity, religious independence, and calls for protection
and development of Montenegrin culture and language have
emerged suddenly. However, the complex Montenegrin question
has never ceased to exist and cannot be viewed merely as a
result of a power struggle between two individuals, Milo Djukanoviæ
and Slobodan Milo¹eviæ, as it is often presented in the
media. Similrarly, the question of the Montenegrin language
has been raised many times before the recent memorandum of
Matica Crnogorska.
Sincerely,
Frantisek Sistek
Society of Friends of Montenegro, Prague
chairman
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