Croatian language

Croatian is the national official language and literary standard of Croatia. It is also an official language in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many people use it in Montenegro and the Serbian province of Vojvodina. It serves as an official language of the European Union. In some parts of Romania, it is a co-official language. Croatian is a vital part of national identity for many Croats. It represents a long history of culture and shared expression.

The language is built upon the Neo-Shtokavian dialect. This specific dialect served as a supraregional lingua franca. A lingua franca is a common language used between people who speak different native tongues. In the mid-18th century, efforts began to create a literary standard. This process aimed to organize various regional vernaculars. These vernaculars included the Chakavian, Kajkavian, and Shtokavian dialects. By using Neo-Shtokavian, scholars created a more unified way to write and speak.

There are three main supradialects spoken within Croatia. These are known as Chakavian, Kajkavian, and Shtokavian. Standard Croatian is primarily based on the Shtokavian dialect. However, the other two dialects remain important parts of the linguistic landscape. Some regions, like Istria, feature a mixture of these dialects. This creates complex patterns of pronunciation called isoglosses. These patterns include different ways to pronounce specific vowel sounds. These sounds are often categorized as Ekavian, Ijekavian, or Ikavian.

The history of the language involves many influential figures and movements. In the 15th and 16th centuries, noble families like the Zrinski and Frankopan worked to unify the language. They wrote in a mixture of the three principal dialects. This era produced important works like "The Siren of the Adriatic Sea" by Petar Zrinski. Later, the 19th-century Illyrian movement sought to standardize South Slavic literary languages. A leader named Ljudevit Gaj played a decisive role during this time. Between 1830 and 1850, he standardized Gaj's Latin alphabet. This alphabet is still used for writing Croatian today.

Linguists often discuss how Croatian relates to other regional languages. In English, the term "Serbo-Croatian" is often used to group several standards together. These include Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. However, this term is controversial for many native speakers. Modern linguists often use the term "BCMS" to refer to these varieties. While the languages have near 100% mutual intelligibility, they are distinct standards. This means people can understand each other's films and news easily. Yet, many Croats view their language as a unique and separate entity.

Specific features help distinguish Standard Croatian from Standard Serbian. One major feature is the use of Ijekavian pronunciation. Croatian also uses only the Latin alphabet. There are also lexical differences, which are differences in common vocabulary. Some of these differences are absolute, meaning the words are completely different. Others are matters of frequency, where one word is simply used more often than another. These linguistic details help define the specific character of the Croatian standard.

Today, the Croatian language is supported by many global institutions. The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth manages official exchange teaching centers. There are 34 such centers, plus three specialized centers in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These programs support more than 2,000 students across 25 different countries. Croatian is also studied at many prestigious universities. You can find studies in Germany, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. This global presence helps maintain the language and its culture worldwide.