Serbs, Croatians and Bosnians

[thelurkinghorror]

@Colibri

Serbo-Croatian is generally considered to be a single language, but with different Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and (perhaps) Montenegrin standardized forms. Croatian uses the Latin alphabet, while Serbian and Bosnian use both Cyrillic and Latin. There are a variety of dialects/subdialects as well.

Specifically referring to Shtokavian, Kajkavian, and Chakavian. Slovenian is the most “unique” Yugoslav language as Macedonians, when the title isn’t claimed by Greeks, speak what is mostly Bulgarian. But like Romanian/Moldovan, don’t tell them that.

@carnivorousplant

Gavrillo Princip was a Bosnian Serb.

And Niko Bellić, it is implied.

[An_Gadai]

@pulykamell

To expand a little, to this day, Bosnia is still fairly divided, with a Serbian division to the north and east of the country called Republika Srpska (“Serbian Republic”) and the rest, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Bosniak-Croat Federation. I don’t know how it is now, but Republika Srpska in the late 90s and early 00s was a fairly intense and insular place, and a refuge for Serbian war criminals. I haven’t followed Balkan politics in a number of years, now, so I don’t know what the climate is like down there now.

Now, before the war, things were a lot more mixed, with Sarajevo (which is in the Federation) being something like one-third Serb.

When that region is on the news here Republika Srpska is rarely, if ever, mentioned. I only knew of its existence from Wikipedia.

[thelurkinghorror]

@An_Gadai

When that region is on the news here Republika Srpska is rarely, if ever, mentioned. I only knew of its existence from Wikipedia.

In English, the Serb Republic, not to be confused with the Republic of Serbia. :dubious: And Bosnia & Herzegovina has two names, but it’s one part…

Not that I expect the news to get the names right. As far as they’re concerned, the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville/French Congo/the safer one) doesn’t even exist.

[Kobal2]

@pulykamell

Bosnia is still fairly divided, with a Serbian division to the north and east of the country called Republika Srpska (“Serbian Republic”)

Which, incidentally, is a reason for much of the fighting : the Croats and Bosniaks stole all of the Serbs’ vowels.

(this is not intended as a factual answer)

[pulykamell]

@Kobal2

Which, incidentally, is a reason for much of the fighting : the Croats and Bosniaks stole all of the Serbs’ vowels.

(this is not intended as a factual answer)

Well, there is a vowel shortage in Croatia, too. See: the island of Krk. (Technically, the “r” is performing vowel- like duties there.) I remember an Onion article back in the mid 90s that had to do with the vowel shortage.

[thelurkinghorror]

The city of Trieste in Italy, with lots of Slovene influence, is in that language and Serbo-Croatian Trst (or Трст).

It seems Finland or Estonia could ship in some of their surplus vowels to help the shortage.

[An_Gadai]

@thelurkinghorror

In English, the Serb Republic, not to be confused with the Republic of Serbia. :dubious: And Bosnia & Herzegovina has two names, but it’s one part…

Not that I expect the news to get the names right. As far as they’re concerned, the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville/French Congo/the safer one) doesn’t even exist.

I do see reports about Congo-Brazzaville but then I’m apt to watch France 24 when I can’t sleep.

[pulykamell]

@thelurkinghorror

The city of Trieste in Italy, with lots of Slovene influence, is in that language and Serbo-Croatian Trst (or Трст).

It seems Finland or Estonia could ship in some of their surplus vowels to help the shortage.

We have to go north in our Slavic languages a bit, but there is also the famous Czech tongue twister: Strč prst skrz krk. (“Stick [your] finger through [your] throat.”)