Slavoserbian
Encyclopedia
The Slavonic-Serbian language (славяносербскій / slavjanoserbskij or словенскій slovenskij; ) is a form of the Serbian language
which was used, exclusively as a written language (no one ever actually spoke it), at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, predominantly by Serbian writers in Vojvodina
and other parts of the Habsburg Monarchy
. As such, it was also occasionally used in Montenegro
and liberated Serbia
in the early stages.
Slavoserbian was Serbian of a somewhat educated merchant class under heavy influence of the Church Slavonic language and the Russian language
of that time.
's Славеносербски магазин (The Slavonic-Serbian Magazine) as an example of the language could be useful: (Latin: "Ves'ma by meni priskorbno bylo, ako bi ja kadgod čuo, čto ty, moj syne, upao u pyanstvo, roskoš', bezčinie, i nepotrebnoe žitie"). Such a sentence shows that the language preserves old Slavic forms - thereby being similar to Russian, the most conservative of the Slavic languages - (čto instead of što), (roskoš instead of raskoš), as well as the appearance of the letter –t in the third person
plural
of the present tense
(oni mogut' instead of oni mogu). Furthermore, this language had no defined grammar, and it was used in a form that suited whoever used it.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
which was used, exclusively as a written language (no one ever actually spoke it), at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, predominantly by Serbian writers in Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
and other parts of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. As such, it was also occasionally used in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and liberated Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in the early stages.
Slavoserbian was Serbian of a somewhat educated merchant class under heavy influence of the Church Slavonic language and the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
of that time.
Characteristics
Taking a sentence from Zaharije OrfelinZaharije Orfelin
Zaharije Orfelin was an 18th-century Serb polymath who lived and worked in the Austrian Monarchy and Venice. Described as a Renaissance man, he was an educator, administrator, poet, engraver, lexicographer, herbalist, historian, winemaker, translator, editor, publisher, polemicist, and traveler...
's Славеносербски магазин (The Slavonic-Serbian Magazine) as an example of the language could be useful: (Latin: "Ves'ma by meni priskorbno bylo, ako bi ja kadgod čuo, čto ty, moj syne, upao u pyanstvo, roskoš', bezčinie, i nepotrebnoe žitie"). Such a sentence shows that the language preserves old Slavic forms - thereby being similar to Russian, the most conservative of the Slavic languages - (čto instead of što), (roskoš instead of raskoš), as well as the appearance of the letter –t in the third person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
of the present tense
Present tense
The present tense is a grammatical tense that locates a situation or event in present time. This linguistic definition refers to a concept that indicates a feature of the meaning of a verb...
(oni mogut' instead of oni mogu). Furthermore, this language had no defined grammar, and it was used in a form that suited whoever used it.
See also
- Church Slavonic
- Russian languageRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
- Serbian languageSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....