Milan Rešetar
Encyclopedia
Milan Rešetar was a Serb-Catholic, linguist
, Ragusologist
, historian
and literary critic.
After the gymnasium
in Dubrovnik
, he attained studies of classic Philology
and Slavistics in Vienna. He worked as a high-school professor in Koper, Zadar
and Split
, and later a professor of Slavistics on universities of Vienna
and Zagreb
). He also edited the Croatian edition of "List drevnih zakona" magazine. Rešetar was a student of Vatroslav Jagić
. After retirement, he moved to Florence where he died 1942.
The main areas of his works included dialectology
and accentology of South Slavic languages
, as well as philologically impeccable editions of 15th to 18th century writers for the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (renamed Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
in 1991) edition "Stari pisci hrvatski"/Old Croatian Writers".
He was one of founders of South-Slavic dialectics, investigating features of Štokavian dialects (Der Štokawische Dialect, Vienna, 1907) and Čakavian dialects, and also wrote a monography about Molise Croatian dialect
. He was also engaged in the field of numismatics
(Dubrovačka numizmatika, 1924-1925), inheriting the interest and coin collection from his father Pavle.
His most important works include:
His works in this area are, with a few exceptions, superseded by later areal linguistics and historical dialectology research. On the other hand, Rešetar's editions of the Renaissance and Baroque poets and playwrights are still the standard printed issues; only modern computerized textology analyses, done in the Institute for Croatian language and linguistics, have begun to question some aspects of his transliteration choices on the graphemics level. The big part of his work in this area remains highly regarded and confirmed by contemporary textology.
On the other hand, some of his work has been questioned by some writers recently (e.g. where he claims that Čakavian dialect was never spoken in Dubrovnik). Second, his scientific attitudes towards the Ijekavian Štokavian dialect of Dubrovnik were driven by his own ethnic affiliation -- like many other prominent members of the intelligentsia in Dubrovnik of his time, Rešetar identified himself as a Serb Catholic. http://www.bibliotekaherceg-novi.org.rs/PDF/Boka_27/boka_27_203.pdf
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, Ragusologist
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
, historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and literary critic.
After the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, he attained studies of classic Philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and Slavistics in Vienna. He worked as a high-school professor in Koper, Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
and Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, and later a professor of Slavistics on universities of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
and Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
). He also edited the Croatian edition of "List drevnih zakona" magazine. Rešetar was a student of Vatroslav Jagić
Vatroslav Jagic
Vatroslav Jagić was a Croatian language researcher and a famous expert in Slavic languages in the second half of the 19th century.-Life:...
. After retirement, he moved to Florence where he died 1942.
The main areas of his works included dialectology
Dialectology
Dialectology is the scientific study of linguistic dialect, a sub-field of sociolinguistics. It studies variations in language based primarily on geographic distribution and their associated features...
and accentology of South Slavic languages
South Slavic languages
The South Slavic languages comprise one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches by a belt of German, Hungarian and Romanian speakers...
, as well as philologically impeccable editions of 15th to 18th century writers for the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (renamed Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
in 1991) edition "Stari pisci hrvatski"/Old Croatian Writers".
He was one of founders of South-Slavic dialectics, investigating features of Štokavian dialects (Der Štokawische Dialect, Vienna, 1907) and Čakavian dialects, and also wrote a monography about Molise Croatian dialect
Molise Croatian dialect
Molise Croatian dialect is a Croatian dialect spoken in the province of Campobasso, in the Molise Region of southern Italy, in the villages of Montemitro , Acquaviva Collecroce and San Felice del Molise...
. He was also engaged in the field of numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
(Dubrovačka numizmatika, 1924-1925), inheriting the interest and coin collection from his father Pavle.
His most important works include:
- "Čakavština i njene nekadašnje i sadašnje granice" (Čakavian Dialect, its Past and Present Boundaries)
- "Štokavski dijalekat" (Štokavian Dialect)
- "Najstariji dubrovački govor" (The Oldest Dialect of Dubrovnik)
- "Najstarija dubrovačka proza" (The Oldest Literature of Dubrovnik).
His works in this area are, with a few exceptions, superseded by later areal linguistics and historical dialectology research. On the other hand, Rešetar's editions of the Renaissance and Baroque poets and playwrights are still the standard printed issues; only modern computerized textology analyses, done in the Institute for Croatian language and linguistics, have begun to question some aspects of his transliteration choices on the graphemics level. The big part of his work in this area remains highly regarded and confirmed by contemporary textology.
On the other hand, some of his work has been questioned by some writers recently (e.g. where he claims that Čakavian dialect was never spoken in Dubrovnik). Second, his scientific attitudes towards the Ijekavian Štokavian dialect of Dubrovnik were driven by his own ethnic affiliation -- like many other prominent members of the intelligentsia in Dubrovnik of his time, Rešetar identified himself as a Serb Catholic. http://www.bibliotekaherceg-novi.org.rs/PDF/Boka_27/boka_27_203.pdf
External links
- on Rešetar as a self-identified Serb Catholic
- "Vjesnik" newspaper article
- Article in magazin "Kolo"
- Tragom akribije Article in "Vijenac" about International scientific meeting about Milan Rešetar in Vienna and Dubrovnik
- Josip Lisac: "Milan Rešetar i njegovo doba", Kolo, 9, 1999, 3, 37–42.