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Thread: 15 facts about the Croatian language you probably didn’t know

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    Default 15 facts about the Croatian language you probably didn’t know

    According to many foreigners, the Croatian language is one of the hardest languages to learn thanks to its large number of cases.

    Even born-and-raised Croatians can sometimes be slightly uncertain about grammar rules and accents. Still, the Croatian language is one of the most interesting languages with a very rich history.

    Here are 15 facts about the Croatian language:

    1. One of the South Slavic languages, Croatian has been called differently throughout history, and one of the names was “Illyrian”.

    2. The Croatian language was first mentioned in 1275 in the document “Istarski razvod”.


    Istarski razvod (Photo: Roberta F)

    3. The word “encyclopedia” was first used in 1559 by Pavao Skalić from Zagreb.

    4. In 1843 Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski was the first man to speak in Croatian before the Parliament. The speech daringly promoted the struggle for national liberation, asking for Croatian to become the official language in schools and offices, with its gradual introduction in the public life. He also pointed out the danger of replacing Croatian with other languages.


    Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski statue in Zagreb

    5. Croatian Parliament passed the decision to make Croatian the official language in 1847, replacing Latin.

    6. Croatian has three major groups of dialects – Kajkavian, Štokavian and Čakavian – all of which are further divided into six or seven dialects. Kajkavian dialects mark many loan words from German and Hungarian, Štokavian dialects from Turkish and Italian (and in the North also German and Hungarian) and Čakavian from Italian.

    7. The shortest Croatian words are just one letter – a (but, and) u (in), i (and), s (with, from), k (to).

    8. The longest Croatian word (besides the written form of long numbers) is prijestolonasljednikovičičinima with 31 characters (30 letters since “lj” is one letter). Prijestolonasljednikovičičinima – translates in English to “of little heiress apparent to the throne” in plural dative case.


    (Photo: Osnovna škola Milka Cepelića Vuka)

    9. Croatian is one of the sources for the minimal language “toki pona”, created in Toronto and based on natural languages according to tao principles.


    Toki Pona pronunciation chart Photo: Jan Nikita under CC)

    10. The word “paprika” was transferred into many European languages in its original form, not translated.


    Paprika

    11. In Croatian people with blonde hair are described as having blue hair (plava).

    12. One Croatian word with the highest number of synonyms is “a cob” (corn cob). Synonyms are; ajdamak, bat, batakljuša, bataljika, batučak, batuček, batuk, baturak, baturice, čepina, čokotinja, ćuka, kic, klas, klasina, klasinec, klasovina, klasovinje, kočanj, kocen, komaljika, komušina, kukuruzina, kumina, kureljica, kuruška, oklipak, okoma, okomak, okomina, okrunica, orušek, otučak, paćika, patura, paturica, rucelj, rucl, rulina, šapurika, ščavina, šepurina, štruk, tekun, tulina, tulinek to name a few!


    Corn cob

    13. Croatian is one of three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    14.The oldest Croatian dialect is believed to spoken in Bednja in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region.


    (Bednja.hr)

    15. Croatians are one of the most creative when it comes to swear words in Europe, largely due to a rich dialect and an abundance of synonyms.




    https://www.croatiaweek.com/15-facts...ly-didnt-know/

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    Very nice thread, Mingle

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    3/4 of Croatians speak originally same language as Serbs, 1/4 of Croatians speak originally different languages from Serbs.

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    "According to many foreigners, the Croatian language is one of the hardest languages to learn thanks to its large number of cases."

    It isn't. I understand it and I didn't learn it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pribislav View Post
    3/4 of Croatians speak originally same language as Serbs, 1/4 of Croatians speak originally different languages from Serbs.
    I don't think so. Stokavian dialect is now much more widespread than it was. For example, Western Slavonia was Kajkavian in the past. Northwestern Bosnia was Chakavian.
    This is approximate situation in middle ages:


    Compare to modern day Chakavian:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jana View Post
    I don't think so. Stokavian dialect is now much more widespread than it was. For example, Western Slavonia was Kajkavian in the past. Northwestern Bosnia was Chakavian.
    This is approximate situation in middle ages:


    Compare to modern day Chakavian:
    That was in the middle age.
    Today Croatians from Slavonia speak shtokavian, because they settled to Slavonia from Bosnia in 17th and 18th century. Present day Slavonian Croatians are not related with medieval population of Slavonia. Medieval Slavonians were similar as Slovenians and Zagorci. Do you know from Slovenian claims on Slavonia? They claim that Slavonia was inhabitated with Slovenians before Ottomans and that they migrated to present day Slovenia when Ottomans arrived.

    In northewestern Bosnia there is very few Croatians. They don't speak kaykavian but shtokavian, because they originated from Livno, Duvno and western Herzegovina.

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    and Balkan quarrels piece/corner is now officially open

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pribislav View Post
    Medieval Slavonians were similar as Slovenians and Zagorci. Do you know from Slovenian claims on Slavonia? They claim that Slavonia was inhabitated with Slovenians before Ottomans and that they migrated to present day Slovenia when Ottomans arrived.
    That's pretty bizzare, bacause I don't know based on what they claim that ? Slovenians did not exist in middle ages, but Caranthanians did, and they never lived in most of Panonnian Plain.


    Anyway, I am tired of silly Slovene claims to make up for their lack of statehood. Medieval Slavonians were most likely related with Panonnian Slavs of Hungary, who were separate South Slavic group.
    And according to DAI, Panonnia was colonised by Croatian tribes from Dalmatia, so mixed Panonnian-Croatian population was most likely base for medieval Slavonian people.

    Btw, their descendants live in Bosnia today. 300 000 Slavonian muslims have been expelled to Bosnia after reconquista, if I remember the figure well from one book I've read.
    While at the same time Bosnian Catholics like Šokci moved to Slavonia.

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    Number 15 is true for pretty much all slavs, if we are good at something thats swearing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pribislav View Post
    3/4 of Croatians speak originally same language as Serbs, 1/4 of Croatians speak originally different languages from Serbs.
    I have always wanted to ask the following question to Serb nationalist. What lies behind your eagerness to point out things like that, serbianization etc? You feel love towards Croats because you think Croats are bros, want Serbs and Croats to hug each other and proclaim love? Or are you like most Serbs pretentious and territory obsessed (especially coastal regions)?

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