THE COLLAPSE OF YUGOSLAVIA AND THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE MACEDONIAN LITERARY LANGUAGE (A LATE CASE OF GLOSSOTOMY?) Otto Kronsteiner (Austria) Kronsteiner (Austria)
(translated by Daniela Konstantinova) "The "The spli splitt of a langu language age into into two two is some someth thin ing g whic which h the the greatest fantasts in the world have not dared do. Our scholars, however, did it for politi itical, rathe ther than ling inguist istic considerations." Leon Leonid ida a Lari Lari,, Roma Romani nia an writ writer er from from Moldova, (Literatura si arta art a am 18.8.1988) There are quite a few European languages spoken outside their "own" country: for instance German in German Germany, y, but also in Austria Austria,, Switze Switzerla rland, nd, Liechte Liechtenst nstein ein,, Luxemb Luxembour ourg,: g,: Denmark Denmark,, Belgiu Belgium, m, Poland, Russia; Spanish in Spain, but also in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia etc. But nowhere a necessity has come to being, neither an attempt has been made to father a new (official) language (Austrian, Liechtensteinian, Argentinian, Chilien etc.) despite apparent differences emerging in the usage of the languages. Many minority languages have never had their own state, others have had - though for a short time. Nevertheless, they have kept their integrity in the course of centuries, and have patiently waited for their recognition. This holds good of Ladinian, Basque, Sardian, Catalan and others. Quite to the contrary, there has never been a necessity for the creation of a special literary language to serve the Bulgarian-speaking Slavs residing outside Bulgaria (for example, in Vardar or Aegean Macedonia, Albani Albania, a, Serbia Serbia,, Romani Romania, a, Ukrain Ukraine). e). Similarl Similarly, y, there there had never never been been a Macedo Macedonia nian n linguist linguistic ic community dreaming for centuries on end to be recognized for its linguistic uniqueness. As late as the 20th c. the method of linguistic partition (glossotomy) [1] would be repeatedly applied, motivated politically, rather than linguistically. In the West (as was the case of Slovenian Nindian) those those attempt attemptss crashed crashed and burned burned.. In the East East howeve however, r, forcefu forcefully lly conceiv conceived ed langu language agess under under [2] comm commun unis ism m (soc (socia iali lism sm)) (Rom (Roman ania ian/ n/Mo Mold ldov ovan an ; Finn Finnis ish/ h/Ka Kare reli lian an;; Tata Tatar/ r/Ba Bash shki kir; r; Turkish/Gagaouz) did survive to live a longer "life" thanks to political coercion. Those who refused to accept language partition would be proclaimed nationalists and treated in the respective way. In politics, language partition was counted upon as a way to reinforce the new political borders, thus eliminating the feeling of one-time belonging to a certain community. [3] The strategies behind the fath father erin ing g of such such new new lang langua uage gess in the the comm commun unist ist regi region onss woul would d follo follow w one one and and the the same same principles. One scholar (or a handful united in a group) would publish an orthography, grammar, dictionary, bilingual dictionaries (but, note, never from the old to the new language, that is, never RomanianMoldovan, but Moldovan-Russian for example, or others). Shortly, they would publish a historical grammar, a history of the language, as well as a history of the new nation. Further, as "flank" initiatives, initiatives, an Academy Academy of Sciences, Sciences, a National National Theater and a National Folk Ensemble Ensemble would be
established. In the meantime, a national literature was bound to shape up, and the first writer to vent ventur uree in any any genr genre, e, woul would d be proc proclai laime med d a great great play playwr wrig ight ht,, nove noveli list st or lyris lyristt on the the new new [4] language. All that in its turn, called to life a literary history. The political accompaniment to the whole affair would be a most characteristic sentence in the communist countries: notably, that the (new) (new) langua language ge was "a remark remarkabl ablee achiev achievemen ementt serving serving the entire entire cultur cultural al comple complex". x". And, And, the direction to follow derived from the (unvoiced) formulation: "the worse the old language is treated, the better for the new one", that is, the worse Romanian is being spoken/spelled, the better for Moldovan, which would be more correctly spoken/spelled. And, this entailed a deepening of the artificial gulf between the old and the new tongue (even by the use of force). All that holds good of the Macedonian literary language ( македонскиот jазик).
Date of creation: 1944 Place of creation: The Socialist Republic of Macedonia (within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) - the "Prohor Pcinski" monastery. Used by: some 1 000 000 Bulgarians (in Macedonia). Oldest literary monument: "New Macedonia" newspaper. Fabrications:
H. Lunt, A Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language, Skopje, 1952. Блаже Конески, Историjа на македонскиот jазик. Дел I. Увод, За гласовите, За акцентот, Скопjе, 1952; Дел Il: 3a формите и нивната употреба, Cкоnje, 1957. Блаже Блаже Конес Конески, ки, Истор Исторjа jа на македо македонс нскио киот т jазик, jазик, Скопj Скопjее - Белгра Белград, д, 1965, 1965, 1981, 1981, 1982. Правопис Правопис на македонс македонскиот киот литератур литературен ен jазик jазик со правопис правописен ен речник, речник, Скопjе, Скопjе, 1970, 1979. Речник на македонскиот jазик со српско-хрватски толкуваниjа (II-III), Скопjе, 1961, 1966, 1979, 1986.
в. Милики Милики
, Обрате Обратен н речник речник на македо македонски нскиот от jазик, jазик, Скопje, Скопje, 1967. 1967.
Двуе Двуези зичн чни и речн речниц ици и и учеб учебни ници ци по немс немски ки,, англ англий ийск ски, и, френ френск ски, и, полс полски ки,, румънски, руски и словенски. Научно списание "Македонски jазик" от 1954 г.
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М. Георгиевски, Македонско книжевно наследство од XI до XVIII век, Скопjе, 1979. Д. Митрев. Повоени македонски поети. Антологиjа, Скопjе, 1960. М. Друговац, Современи македонски писатели, Скопjе, 1979. М. Ташковски, Кон етногенезата на македонскиот народ, Скопjе, 1974. Истор Историjа иjа на македо македонс нскио киот т народ народ (Инст (Институ итут т за национ националн ална а истори историjа, jа, Скопjе Скопjе,, 1969. I. Од предисториското време до краjот на ХVIII век. II Од почетокот на ХХ век до краjот краjот на првата првата светска светска воjна. воjна. III Периодот Периодот ме ме у двете двете светск светски и воjни воjни и народната револуциjа (1918-1945). (1918-1945).
Whil Whilee T. Stam Stamat atos oski ki (also (also Stam Stamato atov, v, Stam Stamato atovs vski ki)) wrot wrotee back back in 1986 1986 on the the strug struggl glee for for Macedonian literary language, looking back and ahead in future at the same time (?) ( Борба за македонски литературен jазик, Скопjе ), Blaze Koneski had already (3 years before) told the "Communist" (1376, from July 29, 1983) the story of the endorsement and the introduction of this Афирмаци циjа jа на македо македонс нскио киот т jазик jазик.. Сосем Сосем оформе оформен н совре современ менен ен liter literar ary y lang langua uage ge (Афирма литературен jазик, Скопjе ). A most most ridicu ridiculo lous us text text is the the hist histor oric ical al phon phonol olog ogy y of the the new new langu languag agee fath fathere ered d in 1944 1944 ( B. Koneski, A Historical Phonology of the Macedonian Language, Heidelberg, 1983 ). A major departure was effected, not only from the Bulgarian language, but also from its rich literary heritage, as well as from the world literature in translation. However, something had to be saved, and it was done by encroaching upon the miscellany of songs by the Miladinov brothers, born in Macedo Macedonia nia,, and which which had been been origin originally ally entitle entitled d "Bulga "Bulgarian rian Folk Folk Songs" Songs",, (1861 (1861)) contain containing ing songs from Struga, Okhrida, Prilep, Kukus, Kostur and from other parts of Vardar and Aegean Macedonia. In 1962 it came out in Skopje under the forged title of "Miscellany", with a forged “Mac “Maced edon onia ian” n” text text,, and and on top top of ever everyt ythi hing ng else, else, labe labele led d "the "the most most outst outstan andi ding ng work work ever ever published, of the Macedonian literature. On the name (glossonym) Macedonian
The adjectiv tive Macedonian (in Bulga lgarian ian: македон донски; ки; in Greek: ek:
, in Albanian ian:
maqedonas) was out of use as a glossonym prior to 1944. Until then, Macedonian used to be an adjective (designating the region (toponym) of Macedonia). [5] So, ever since 1944 it has scarcely been clear whether the toponym or the glossonym is actually meant under the word Macedonian, which which caused caused a confus confusion ion of notion notionss (delibe (deliberat rately ely provo provoked ked,, too), too), that that worked worked in favor favor of the reinforcement of the myths of the Macedonian nation. The impression was created as if this same language since time immemorial, has been the language of the "country" Macedonia. Alexander the Great Great was Macedo Macedonian nian.. Cyril Cyril and Methodius Methodius were were Macedo Macedonia nians, ns, and Kemal Kemal Atatur Ataturk k too, too, was Macedonian (a fact which is often suppressed). Neither of those however, had anything in common 3
with with the Macedo Macedonian nian literary literary langu language age of Mr. Blaze Blaze Konesk Koneskii (i.e. (i.e. Blagoj Blagoj Konev). Konev). And for the delusion to be complete, the textbooks in history and geography read: "In the Socialist Republic of Macedo Macedonia nia there there live live Macedo Macedonia nians, ns, Albani Albanians ans,, Turks Turks etc." etc." This This downri downright ght usurpa usurpatio tion n of ethnic ethnic names seems the right tool of forcible differentiation (compare: the French, Bretons, Basques - all of them nationals of France) etc., instead of the French French, the Breton French, the Basque French or (given the common territory of a nation), the French Bretons, the French Basques etc. It woul would d be righ rightt to say: say: the the Bulg Bulgari arian an Maced Macedon onia ians ns,, the the Alba Albani nian an Mace Macedo doni nian ans, s, the the Turk Turkish ish Macedonians etc. (in this case, the residents of the republic of Macedonia), or, as it had been gene genera rally lly accep accepted ted to say by 1944 1944 (e.g (e.g.. Veig Veigan and) d) - the the Maced Macedon onia ian n Bulg Bulgari arian ans, s, Mace Macedo doni nian an Albanians, Macedonian Turks, etc. (given the common territory of a nation). And, since through the new Macedonian language, erstwhile Bulgarian ceased to exist officially (!), that is, it became a (strongly estranged) foreign language, the glossonym and the ethnonym Bulgarian disappeared too.
On the orthography of the Macedonian literary language
Similarly to the case with Moldovan, when the Cyrillic script was introduced to distance it from Romani Romanian, an, the Macedo Macedonian nian glossot glossotomi omists sts decide decided d to adopt adopt the Serbia Serbian n alphab alphabet et (respec (respectiv tively ely,, orthog orthograph raphy) y) incl includi uding ng letter letterss having having become become more more or or less less a myth myth ЖД, as well well as the the Serb Serbian ian
,
,
(instea (instead d of the Bulg Bulgarian arian Щ,
.) . The core core of of the the Maced Macedoni onian an alph alphabe abett is actu actually ally lying lying in these these
two letters and their phonetic materialization. Hence the joke: Macedonian is Bulgarian typed on a Serbian type-writer. Had the Bulgarian orthography been applied to the new language, everyone would take it for Bulgarian (despite the peripheral nature of the basic dialect chosen), just like the dialectally tinged texts by Ludwig Toma and Peter Poseger, which are taken for German ones. On the dialectal basis of the Macedonian literary language
A very special trick of the Macedonian glossotomists was the choice of the peripheral dialectal area as the dialect dialectal al basis basis of the new langu language. age. It lies precise precisely ly on the Serbia Serbian-B n-Bulg ulgari arian an langua language ge boundary, hence, it represents a transitional dialect to Serbian. Another town could have been chosen instead of Skopje as capital (in the linguistic aspect too), such as Ohrid, but it would have made the difference with Bulgarian hardly discernable. The inner structure of the new language follows lexically and morphologically [6] the Serbian model enforced through the Belgrade Radio and TV, received everywhere. The new language served the rule: the more non-Bulgarian, the more Macedonian! Macedonian! The strengthenin strengthening g of the Serbian Serbian influence influence meant Macedonia's Macedonia's estrangemen estrangementt from [7] Bulgaria politically and culturally as well (something passed unnoticed by Europe). Bulgarian studies were not taught in Yugoslavia's universities, as they were replaced by Macedonian studies (and that, needless to say, held good of Skopje). Bulgarian was converted into an anti-language. In the lingual-geographic aspect, the “Macedonian” dialects were declared all too unique, having nothin nothing g in common common with Bulga Bulgarian rian.. This This explain explainss why a Macedo Macedonia nian n dialect dialectal al atlas atlas was never never released. Every dialectologist is well aware that there is no dialectical boundary to separate Bulgaria from Macedonia, Macedonia, and that intrinsic intrinsic Macedonian Macedonian peculiarities peculiarities (such as the the triple triple article, article,
instead of
Щ, etc.) are common in Bulgaria Bulgaria too. Hence, Hence, the whole thing smells of Stalin-style Stalin-styled d misinformatio misinformation n 4
which was successful in misleading even some representatives of "critical" Slavonic studies in the West. [8] Who was in need of linguistic partition (glossotomy)?
Since in all the cases (in the communist region) of linguistic partition the underlying strategy would be quite the same, the question arises whether it is also valid for the functioning of that mechanism. The method of "splitting" would be applied not only to languages, but also to the history of nations, and to entire nations. And as in neither of those cases people's will had been consulted, it is thus far unclear where the central stage players had actually seen the sense, for themselves, their country and their policy. It is surprising that together with the states (The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) the purpose would be lost behind these language partitions, given it was related to a centralized state policy. The latter would unite on the one hand, and divide, on the other. Within the framework of the Soviet Soviet Union Union,, Ukrain Ukrainee and Byelor Byeloruss ussia ia had to be russifi russified, ed, whereas whereas,, the Turkis Turkishh- speaki speaking ng peoples would be partitioned in the smallest possible portions. For its part, Yugoslavia had been pursuing a language and cultural assimilation with a Serbian emphasis (see: "Directive" by Garasanin). All this attests to the moral (!) integrity of science which has never been short of people for such tasks. As to the Serbian policy, it did not resort to similar language partition against the Yugosl Yugoslav av Albani Albanians ans and Turks Turks - they they were were actually actually deprive deprived d of all their their rights rights;; they they were were not consid considered ered nations nations at all, but rather rather a "minor "minority ity"" in its worst worst connot connotatio ation, n, althou although gh they they were were prevalent in some areas. The assimilation effort against linguistically closer Bulgarian Macedonians, howe howeve ver, r, was was much much more more appa apparen rent. t. For For the the sake sake of histo histori rica call truth truth we shou should ld note note that that thos thosee assi assimi mila lati tio on effo effort rtss do not not date ate back ack to soci social alis istt Yug Yugoslav slavia ia,, but but even even earl earlie ier, r, to the the Serbia Serbian-C n-Croa roatian tian-Slo -Sloven venian ian Kingd Kingdom om and the Kingd Kingdom om of Yugosl Yugoslavi avia. a. Yet they they could could score score success only under socialism with its methods - in the post-1944 period. No wonder then that the Alba Albani nian anss do not not tend tend to asso associ ciat atee with with the the new new Repu Republ blic ic of Mace Macedo doni nia, a, whil whilee as far far the the "macedonized" Bulgarian Macedonians are concerned, it seems at least, they. do. l do not subscribe to any annexations (Anschlusse), something I feel alien to, being Austrian; I believe that the Slav Macedonians are bound to re-think the roots of their identity which as of 1944, has been resting on a diffuse feeling of being Yugoslav. Any single piece of criticism against the new, Macedonian language is by rule interpreted as a blow against Yugoslavia. Thus, the whole thing has boiled to over overco comi ming ng the the past past since since histo historic rical al false falseho hood od and and forg forgery ery coul could d not not but but influ influen ence ce youn younger ger gene genera ratio tions ns who who now now suff suffer er the the cons conseq eque uenc nces es of natio nationa nall nihi nihili lism sm.. The The gener generati ation on of toda today y identi identifie fiess itself itself with with neithe neitherr Serbia Serbia,, nor nor Bulgari Bulgaria. a. We can hardly hardly deny deny the emergen emergence ce of initial initial symptoms of a new identity. Here is one example from among many: the complete separation back in 1967, of the Macedonian from the Serbian-Orthodox church (though the former has never been recogni recognized zed by the latter) latter).. [9] The degree degree of serbia serbianiza nization tion howeve howeverr is consid considera erable, ble, which which is indicative of the power of the Serbophile nomenclature in Macedonia. Linguistic chaos
For the constructors of a language, and of the Macedonian literary language too, it is no problem at all to invent linguistic norms. The actual difficulty is whether these norms are applicable. The ways to say something on the one hand, and to spell it on the other, have always differed, yet the question is: Who speaks this language? Macedonians themselves can be heard to say quite often: we have no command of this language, we have not studied it. The immediate impression is how very uncertain such Macedonians feel linguistically. It transpires in every single piece of conversation, how tough 5
it is for them to "stick" to this language. [10] Soon one is in trouble guessing whether what is spoken is bad Bulgarian, or bad Serbian. Anyway, no impression is left of a linguistic identity (unlike the case with Ladinian or Catalan). Talking with Macedonians, one is overwhelmed by compassion over their linguistic confusion. Such a language can be defined negatively: by stating what it is not. The drive to replace the nationality of the Macedonians, making them Serbian, has actually called to life a kind of a creole tongue, which for its part might be helpful to the Serbians some generations later to "recommend" to the Macedonians Serbian as a literary language. And, in its current capacity of a literary language, Macedonian is open to Serbian, with the latter supplying the former. As to Bulgarian, Bulgarian, it has fallen in total isolation. isolation. With With the politic political al situatio situation n of today today pregna pregnant nt with with option optionss for new orient orientatio ation, n, this destru destructiv ctivee process needs to be contained, despite the deep traces it has left in the course of its 50-year-long development. I will refrain from forecasts as to the future direction linguistic development is likely to take. However, one thing is certain: the present situation is quite unsatisfactory. Moreover, fears remain that there are quite a few people in Skopje, who might try to accomplish what has already been started. If so, a precedent for Europe might emerge when political glossotomy being a preliminary stage leading up to linguistic, respectively ethnic, changes, has turned out to be successful. In view of the common, older than a millennium Bulgarian history, we can hope that political objectives resting upon numerous lies, will ultimately fail. Otherwise, the televised statement of a Serbian tchetnik on the Austrian TV might become a sad truth, notably, that Macedonians were not using a normal tongue, but a hotchpotch of Serbian plus Bulgarian words, hence, the Macedonians belonged to Serbia. The fact that an American, Horace Lunt is the author of the Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (Skopje, 1952), the first grammar-book of Macedonian (!) paving the way for a literary language tailored by the communists, attests to the profound "insight" Americans show in European problems. Footnotes :
1. See: See: DSS DSS 14/1 14/198 988: 8: 23-6 23-66 6 (H. (H. Goeb Goebl, l, Glot Glotto tony nymie mie,, Glot Glotot otto tomi miee und und Schi Schizo zogl glos ossie sie.. Drei Drei sprachpolitisch bedeutsame Begriffe). 2. See: See: DSS 19/1989: 19/1989: 11 5-i40 5-i40 (K. Heitmann, Heitmann, Probleme Probleme der moldauisc moldauischen hen Sprache Sprache in der Ara Gorbacev). 3. In the case of the Turkic peoples in the USSR, there were fears over the possible emergence of Pan-Turkic movements. 4. Compare, the valuable notes by Izo Kamartin, a specialist in Romansh (Nichts als Worte?) Ein Pladoyer fur Kleinsprachen. Zurich Munchen, 1985: 171 - Eine Kleine Literatur...) 5. P. Koledarov, Името Македония в историческата география, Sofia, 1985; H.R. Wilkinson, Maps and Politics, A Review of the Ethnographic Cartography of Macedonia, Liverpool, 1951.
6
6. Even surnames with the Bulgarian ending -os/-es were refashioned into -ски or -ски ( Serbian -и ). Thus, Thus, Georgiev Georgiev would would turn into Georgievski Georgievski or Georgie Georgievi vi . 7. My own own expe experi rien ence ce testif testifie iess to how how very very anxio anxious us Serb Serbia ia was was over over cutti cutting ng off off any any cont contac actt between Bulgaria and Macedonia. After the First International Congress of Bulgarian Studies closed (1981), I was traveling home from Sofia, when I was held for 5 hours at the Serbian border (in Gradina/Dimitrovgrad). There a UDBA-group from Nish started a lengthy inquiry, followed by taking away various Bulgarian books and magazines they found in my car. And since I wanted to speak in Bulgarian, they told me to use a normal (Serbian?) language. They accused me of being a Bulgarian spy employed by the Bulgarian secret services. Further I was warned that if I persisted in manife manifestin sting g anti-Y anti-Yugo ugoslav slav sentime sentiments nts (non-a (non-accep cceptan tance ce of the Macedo Macedonia nian n langua language?) ge?),, I had to suffer the respective consequences. 8. Whil Whilee in Slav Slavon onic ic and and Roma Romanc ncee studi studies es and and in gene general ral lingu linguist istics ics ther theree was was not not a hint hint of hesitation as to the linguistic features of the region by World War II, after the war the view and stands of quite a few students of Slavonic studies concerning the Macedonian problem, could be singl singled ed out out for for thei theirr exce except ptio iona nall naiv naivel ely. y. The The latter latter coul could d very very well well be in some some rela relatio tion n with with summer courses in Macedonia at the fascinating Ohrid lake, or else with the awarding of the title of corresponding member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences. An example of the in-depth prewar research is the work "Ethnography of Macedonia"., Leipzig, 1924 (re-printed in Sofia, 1981) by G. Weigand and "Studies in Macedonian Dialectology", Kazan, 1918 (re-printed in Sofia, 1981) by A.M. Selishtchev. Weigand, as well as Selischev, speak about Bulgarians in Macedonia and Macedonian Bulgarian language. 9. Compare D. Ilievski, The Autocephality of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Skopje, 1972. As there there is no nation national al (Maced (Macedoni onian) an) transl translatio ation n availab available le of the Bible, Bible, the Serbian Serbian one is being being recomme recommende nded, d, and it is anothe anotherr factor factor for the structu structurin ring g of the Macedo Macedonia nian n literar literary y langua language. ge. Bulgarian Bulgarian in all of its aspects is deliberately deliberately kept in hiding. hiding. 10. The story goes that one of the leading glossotomists was delivering a lecture at the St. Kliment of Ohrid Ohrid"" Univer University sity in Sofia, Sofia, in Macedo Macedonian nian:: when when howeve however, r, a sudden sudden droug drought ht scatter scattered ed his manuscript, he just went on lecturing... in Bulgarian.
7
MACEDONIA FROM S. S. CYRIL AND METHODIUS TO HORACE LUNT AND BLAZHE KONESKI: LANGUAGE AND NATIONALITY
(Prof. James (Prof. James F. Clarke , Clarke , The Pen and the Sword: Studies in Bulgarian History, edited by Dennis P. Hupchick, Boulder: East European Monographs ; New York: Distributed Dis tributed by Columbia University Press, 1988.) Among Americans increasing interest in Macedonian subjects is to be noted in academic circles. Few society meetings occur without Macedonia appearing on the program, usually in a linguistic form, but lacking historical perspective. Occasionally an article appears in a scholarly journal such as one by Prof. Stephen Fisher - Galati on "IMRO" in the East European Quarterly, edited by him, but without first-hand knowledge of the subject. Perhaps more interesting is a book published in 1977 by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Reading the Ashes, An Anthology of the Poetry of Modern Modern Macedo Macedonia nia.. Basical Basically ly a produc productt of Skopje Skopje,, the Introd Introduct uction ion by the America American n editor editor is riddled with errors. It required 32 "translators" to translate the 26 poets. As is to be expected, it ignores, or is ignorant of, Bulgarian Macedonian history and literature, substituting instead myth and misinfor misinformat mation ion.. It is my purpos purposee here here to descri describe be how the myth myth of a Macedo Macedonia nian n literar literary y language got started. There have been two so-called Macedonian literary languages separated by 1081 years. That of Cyril Cyril and Methodiu Methodiuss was the first first Slavic Slavic literar literary y langua language, ge, with with the first first Slavic Slavic alphab alphabet et - the Glagolitic, later transformed into the Cyrillic. This was adopted by all the Slavs and became a world langu language age,, the first first langua language ge and alphabet alphabet in Europe Europe with a religi religious ous basis. The other, other, as now practiced in Yugoslav Macedonia, is the latest, the smallest (except for Lusatian Serbian) and we may presume, the last Slavic literary language. Cyril's Old Bulgarian, or Old Church Slavonic, was originally spoken by the Slav inhabitants of what is now Greek (or Aegean) Macedonia (Lunt, Old Church Church Slavonic Slavonic,, p. 2). New Macedonia Macedonian n is made made up of dialec dialects ts from from the Center Center of Yugosl Yugoslav av (Vardar) Macedonia. My titl titlee woul would d seem seem to put put Hora Horace ce Lunt Lunt in the the posit positio ion n of isapo isaposto stolo los, s, or a latte latterr-day day Sain Saint; t; "disciple" "disciple" would be more appropriate. appropriate. Like St. Cyril, he is a distinguished distinguished multilingui multilinguist. st. Since 1959 professor of Slavic at Harvard, he has worked both ends of the long Macedonian street. His first major work, written at the Biblical age 33, was a Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (Skopj (Skopje, e, 1952), 1952), the first first lingu linguisti isticc descri descriptio ption n and analys analysis is in any langua language. ge. Lunt's Lunt's is the only only grammar listed in Koneski's Istorija na Makedonskiot Jazik (History of the Macedonian Language, Skopje 1965), aside from his own. Only three years later (1974) came his Old Church Slavonic Grammar (6th edition, rev.), described as "the first to be written in English" and for many years a stand standar ard d work work (J. O. Ferre Ferrell, ll, Lang Langua uage ge,, vol. vol. 33, 33, p. 450 450 - 453) 453).. A thou thousa sand nd years ears of spok spoken en Macedonian separate these two grammars. By-produc By-productt of Lunt's work on the Macedonian language language was his "Survey "Survey of Macedonian Literature" Literature" in the first volume of Harvard Slavic Studies (1954) of which he was editor. This also was a pioneer work (and remains the only English source - other than an English translation of one of Koneski's works. Towards the Macedonian Renaissance, Skopje, 1961). He has also published a few shorter pieces. Of special interest is an article, "The creation of Standard Macedonian" (Anthropological Linguistics, May, 1959). 8
Lunt himself tells us how he discovered Macedonia in the Preface to Grammar of the Macedonian Liter iterar ary y Lang Langua uage ge,, p. 1. Whil Whilee in the the U. S. Army Army in 1944 1944,, he stum stumbl bled ed on some some part partis isan an unde underg rgro roun und d publ public icati ation onss in a Mace Macedo doni nian an dial dialec ect. t. Afte Afterr the the war war he atten attende ded d lectu lecture ress on Macedonian in Prague, and in 1950 at Bled, given by the leading Skopje authority, Blazhe Koneski, and sponsored by the Yugoslav Council for Science and Culture. In 1951, fresh from a Columbia Ph. D. (1950), he spent three months in Skopje with financial aid from the Yugoslav Council and the Macedo Macedonia nian n Ministr Ministry y of Educa Educatio tion, n, Scienc Science, e, and Culture. Culture. There There he had the guidan guidance ce and assistan assistance ce of Prof. Prof. Konesk Koneskii and associates associates at the Univer University sity of Skopje Skopje.. Thus, Thus, Konesk Koneski's i's Slavic Slavic Seminar acted as judge and jury in determining what was to be standard. Lunt's Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language was printed in Belgrade and published by the Macedonian State Press in Skopje in August 1952. It might, therefore, be considered official. Instant Standard Literary Macedonian
On August 2, 1944, one of the first acts of the 122 delegates from Macedonia to the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council, meeting clandestinely at the St. Prohor Pchinski Monastery in Serbia, was the following decree: 1. In the Macedonian state as official language is adopted the People's Macedonian language. 2. This decision enters into force immediately. (Dokumenti od sozdavanjeto i razvitokot na N. R. Makedonija, Documents on the Creation and Development of the P. R. of Macedonia, Skopje, 1949, p. 22) This This must must be the quicke quickest st creatio creation n of a literar literary y langua language ge in histor history. y. A Commis Commission sion,, includ including ing Blazhe Koneski, was appointed in December to spell out the new literary language. It came up with a new alphabet alphabet and orthography orthography on May 3 and June 7, 1945. 1945. After two centuries of Slavic scholarship, very little is known about the origins and nature of Old Bulgaria Bulgaria in Macedonia. Macedonia. Many questions questions remain and some probably probably always always will. Although Although the locale of the language seems established, the ethnic origin of the sainted brothers is still disputed. It is hard for Slavs to accept them as anything but Slavs. Prof. Lunt calls them "Greeks" (Slavic Review, June, 1964, p. 216), but also refers to Macedonian as "St. Cyril's native Salonika dialect" (Lunt, Old Church Church Slavonic, p. 3). Many questions questions would be answered answered should we discover discover that their mother, mother, or at least least their their wet-nu wet-nurse, rse, was a "nativ "native" e" (I'm (I'm told told by Konsta Konstanti ntin n Mechev Mechev,, a Cyrill Cyrillo-M o-Meth ethodi odian an scholar of Sofia, that after 5 month's research in Moscow, he has conclusive evidence that they were Slavs; e. g. Bulgarians). Even the traditional date for the language, 863, is disputed, especially by Russian and Bulgarian scholars, not all of whom are Marxists. Aside from such assertions that there must must have have been been a couple couple of centur centuries ies of prior prior literar literary y develo developme pment nt (P. Dineko Dinekov, v, Deloto Deloto,, 1100 1100 godini, p. 5) we find such statements as "the brothers finished their epoch-making work in 855" (N. Todorov, et al, Bulgaria, Historical and Geographic Outline, Sofia, 1965, p. 28). Conside Considerin ring g the times times and circums circumstan tances, ces, it is inevita inevitable ble that the great great achiev achievemen ementt of the two "Apostles to the Slavs" should still be shrouded in myths and legends. On the other hand, the second contemporary Macedonian literary language was created in the full light of our day. Yet this too is obscured by a growing Macedonian Myth. To it Horace Lunt has contributed his share and set the pace for subsequent American linguistics. 9
I am not here to quarrel with the current Macedonian literary language. No less an authority than Roman Jakobson years ago declared it the thirteenth Slavic literary language. Every man has the right to invent and write in his own language. Nor is the upgrading of a dialect into a literary language a heresy, though only in a totalitarian police state can this become standard overnight by decree. To the 19th century the literary language used by Bulgarians in Macedonia was some form of Serb or Bulgarian variation of the Russianized Church Slavic with degrees of spoken admixtures, as in the so-called Damaskini. In the first part of the 19th century Greek (or Slavic with Greek letters) was also used but increasingly the literary language was the same as that used elsewhere in Bulgaria with occasional use of Macedonian dialects. Between the two wars in Yugoslavia, it was Serbian by compulsion, with Bulgarian proscribed. Now it is the new Macedonian, with Bulgarian proscribed, and with Serbo-Croatian as a second official language. According to Prof. Lunt, Macedonian "came of age" with the 1951 publication of Koneski and Toshev's little Macedonian Orthography. He rather prematurely declared at the time he compiled his Grammar that Macedonian "had achieved a degree of homogenity comparable to that of the other Balkan languages" - this in the space of six preceding years (Grammar, p. 6). The chief architect of the language has been Prof. Koneski, President of the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Sciences, whom Lunt Lunt consid considers ers one of the best Macedo Macedonian nian authors authors.. The first part part of the Grammar came on the heels of Lunt's; the second, in 1954. His Dictionary, in three volumes, was published in 1961, 1965, and 1966, with definitions in Serbian. The last two volumes were delayed by the great Skopje earthquake. A major work is his History of the Macedonian Mace donian Language (1965). I too am prepared to stipulate that a kind of Macedonian literary language is in use in Skopje, althoug although h its growin growing g pains pains are still still showin showing. g. But to claim claim as Konesk Koneskii does does (The (The Macedo Macedonia nian n Lang Langua uage ge in the the Deve Develo lopm pmen entt of the the Slav Slavic ic Liter Literary ary Lang Langua uage ge,, 1968 1968), ), that that Mace Macedo doni nian an is comparable to the other Slavic languages is nonsense. What interests me here are the ideological and the political rationalizations and the problems and myths thus created. Tito's Macedonia
Literar Literary y Macedo Macedonia nian n owes owes its existen existence ce largel largely y to Tito Tito and the inclus inclusion ion of Macedo Macedonia nia in his six-room federal house. The new federal idea was laid in 1942 and publicly hatched at Jajce in 1943. The The new new "co-e "co-equ qual" al" Mace Macedo doni nian an repu republ blic ic was was laun launch ched ed in 1944 1944 at the the St. St. Proh Prohor or Pchi Pchins nski ki Mona Monaste stery ry.. The The motiv motives es behi behind nd its existe existenc ncee help help expl explai ain n much much of its subs subseq eque uent nt char charact acter er:: Macedonian's relations with Belgrade had been a running, bloody sore in the interbellum period; to head off Stalin opting for the Bulgarian Communist Party's claims, Macedonia and the partisan movement there had to be forcibly tied to the new Yugoslavia; and there was the possibility of using Vardar Macedonia as a magnet or springboard for the acquisition of Greek and Bulgarian Macedonia and a restoration of partitioned Macedonia. The elevation of Macedonia into the ranks of the historically and ethnically based Yugoslav federal republics had to be rationalized; ideologically, politically, historically, and culturally. A separate Macedo Macedonia nia had to have have a separat separatee and different different officia officiall literar literary y langu language age - differe different nt both both from from Bulgarian and Serbian. The obvious necessity to use an existing spoken language meant deciding 10
whic which h of the the many many diale dialect ctss to use. use. The The We Weste stern rn Maced Macedon onia ian n was was chos chosen en,, which which in Vard Vardar ar Macedonia - meant the central dialect group, was removed as much as possible from both Bulgarian and Serbian contamination.* contamination. * At the same time, a separate Macedonian alphabet was devised, made unnecessarily different from the Bulgarian, including a few peculiarly Serbian letters, and containing some letters not found in any other Cyrillic alphabet** alphabet** , , but it is still closer to Bulgarian than anything else. In other ways, the makers of Modem Macedonian have tried to be different. A folk-based language of a relat relativ ively ely primi primitiv tivee peop people le finds finds it both both nece necess ssary ary and and diff diffic icul ultt sudd sudden enly ly to adap adaptt to mid mid twentieth century conditions. In addition to finding or coining local folk substitutes for Bulgarian literary expressions, the Macedonian language legislators avoid taking ready-to-hand Bulgarian (or Russian or Serbian) technical and other ultra-modern expressions in favor of Western, including Amer Americ ican, an, term terms. s. The The purp purpos osee is to make make Maced Macedon onian ian as diff differe erent nt as possi possibl ble. e. The The resu result lt is barbarous jargon, j argon, literally literal ly a Macedonian Salad. In contrast to the arbitrary severing of the Bulgarian literary umbilical cord, there is daily contact with Serbian via the school, press, radio, business, business, politics, and the army. For Macedonians, Macedonians, Serbian has to be a second, second, official language. language. A State In Search Of Its History: The Macedonian Myth
Profes Professor sor Lunt Lunt remind remindss us that that a "langu "language age can be descri described bed and learned learned withou withoutt the slighte slightest st knowledge of history" unfortunately true of some of American linguists, but also that the "elements of histor history y are always always presen present" t" (Old (Old Church Church Slavonic Slavonic Gramma Grammar, r, 2nd ed. 1959, 1959, p. x.). x.). The new Macedo Macedonia nian n state state and langu language age in particu particular lar requir required ed histor historical ical rationa rationaliza lizatio tion n to justify justify their their separatism. But the discouraging fact was that there was virtually no Macedonian "state" history, as such. Consequently the Skopje scholars have found it necessary to rewrite Balkan history at least as far back as Cyril and Methodius to make room for Macedonia. As Lunt says, "except for a brief period under Samuil at the end of the ninth (sic) century, Macedonia never had its own government" (Grammar, p. 3). Because the history of Macedonia has hitherto inevitably been written mostly in terms of Bulgaria, Macedonian historians are finding it necessary to deprive Bulgarians of some of their history, history, for example, St. Clement, Clement, chief disciple disciple of Cyril and Methodius, Methodius, whose anniversary anniversary on Ohrid Ohrid in 1966 1966 (with (with Profess Professor or Lunt Lunt as honore honored d guest) guest) was celebra celebrated ted as a Macedo Macedonia nian n affair. affair. Another example is the Bogomils, whom the Macedonians have adopted as their very own national move moveme ment nt.. On some some of thes thesee poin points ts Maced Macedon onian ianss have have trou troubl blee conv convin inci cing ng even even their their fello fellow w Yugoslavs. But it is not my purpose here to retread Macedonian historiography and its catharsis of Bulgarian elements. Conclusion
For Macedonians to deny their Bulgarian heritage is like Peter denying Christ. But Peter repented! You are familiar, I am sure, with all the distortions and denials of Bulgarian history, literature, and culture, as related to Macedonia emanating from Skopje. But we here too have scholars seemingly ignora ignorant nt of Bulgari Bulgarian an Macedo Macedonia nian n histor history. y. Take Take Prof. Prof. Golab Golab of Chicag Chicago o who cites a work work by Russian Russian scholar Selishchev Selishchev on Polog and Its Bulgarian Bulgarian Inhabitants Inhabitants as Polog and Its Slav Inhabitants. Inhabitants. 11
It was at Chicago that Koneski got an honorary doctorate as "father of the Macedonian Language". Actually Tito was the "father" and Koneski the "mother" with Horace Lunt as "mid-wife". The kind of historical gymnastics and dialectical Macedonism indulged in at Skopje puts the ideological cart before the historical horse: suddenly we had ultra-Macedonian Nationalism, a gift from Marx; then came the establishment of a "state", then the official language, then back-up "history" and finally what? A Macedonian Consciousness? I see no quick or easy solution for today's version of the age-old Macedonian Macedonian Questions, invented invented at the Congress of Berlin (1878). My conviction, however, is that historical truth will prevail and our task is to see that these truths must not be forgotten. This is the least we should do. Prof. James F. Clarke Appendix
Repercussion of the Macedonian emigration in USA about creation of the so-called Macedonian language (Macedonian Tribune, Volume 43, Number 2177, Indianapolis, March 27, 1969). Bulgarian ... Bulgarian Dictionary
The wild assimilatory campaign in the enslaved Macedonian land near Vardar often seems pitiful and funny. The Skopian janissaries not only are embroiled to death with the elementary historic truths but also they're trying to do the same with the truth about the alphabet. For them it is a rule to call black white, they are used to maintain, that the sun does not rise from the east, but from the west, that the satellite of the Earth is not the Moon, but ... Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia. In this peculiar way, the decision was made in Skopje to issue Bulgarian - Macedonian dictionary. It is necessary for them to prove to their own people and, if it is possible, to some foreigners, that the population near Vardar has no relationship to the Bulgarian nation and Bulgaria. The above mentioned dictionary is already a fact and let's say at the beginning - one more fact of the failure of Tito's Tito's assimil assimilato atory ry mission mission.. Its' author authorss M. Miadeno Miadenov, v, D. Tsarven Tsarvenkov kovski ski and B. Blagoe Blagoevsk vskii are Bulga Bulgarian rianss by origin origin - in all their their docume documents nts till 1945 they they have have ascerta ascertaine ined d themse themselve lvess their their Bulga Bulgarian rian origin origin,, they they have have gradua graduated ted Bulga Bulgarian rian school schools. s. They They speak speak Bulga Bulgarian rian and Serbia Serbian n fluently. In the last 20 years they are trying to distort their conscience and play the role of creators of literary “Macedonian” language. We must confess that they are very determined in the creation of the dictionary, to alienate their language from the Bulgarian and to make it look like Serbian. Fortunately they have not succeeded. On the first page for the explanations explanations of the abbreviation abbreviationss we see:
abrev.
ав .
Macedonian
Bulgarian
writen
pronun.
writen
pronun.
авиациja
aviatsiya
авиация
aviatsiya
transl.
aviation
адми. администрац администрациja иja administratsiy administratsiyaa администрац администрация ия administratsiy administratsiyaa administratio administration n анат.
ан анатомиja
anatomiya
анатомия
anatomiya
anatomy
архе археол ол.. архе археол олог оги иja
arh arheolo eologi giy ya
архе архео ологи логия я
arhe arheo olog logiya iya
arch archae aeo ology logy
архи архит. т. архи архите тект кту ура
arh arhitek itektu tura ra
архи архите тект кту ура
arhi arhite tekt ktur uraa
arch archit itec ectu ture re
12
Afterwards is published the “Macedonian” alphabet and we notice with admiration and anger at the same time because of the impudence that this is the holy Bulgarian alphabet (Cyrillic). There are only two changes - the Bulgarian Щ (sht) is written as ШТ (sht) and second - they have suppressed the Bulgarian Ъ*** Ъ*** The The first change is hardly noticeable but the second leads to jokes. For example: Bulgarian writen
Macedonian pronun.
wr writen
pronun.
translation
щръклица щръклица shtraklitsa shtraklitsa штръклица штръклица shtraklitsa shtraklitsa species of fly fly върба
varba
врба
varba
изтръп изтръпвам вам iztrapv iztrapvam am изтрпвам изтрпвам
willow
iztrapv iztrapvam am numb
Sometimes the Bulgarian Ъ and **** are **** are changed changed with the Bulgarian Bulgarian A. For example:
Bulg Bu lgar aria ian n
Mace acedoni donia an
writen writen pronun. pronun.
пъ т
pa pat
зъзна za zazna
writen writen pronun. pronun.
translation
пат
pat
way
зазна
z az na
have a cold
Here start the words. As in all dictionaries the beginning is for the words starting with A. Let's have a look at the first page: Bulgarian
Macedonian
translation
writen
pronun.
writen
pronun.
абаджия
abadziya
абаџиja
abadziya
абдика абдикаци ция я
abdi abdika katsi tsiya ya абдик абдикац ациj иjaa
abdi abdika katsi tsiya ya abdica abdicatio tion n
абстр абстракт актен ен
abstr abstrak akte ten n
apstr apstrak akte ten n
апстр апстракт актен ен
weaver abstr abstract act
абстрахирам abstrahiram апстрахирам abstrahiram to abstract абсурд
absurd
апсурд
aзsurd
nonsense
август
avgust
август
avgust
August
автор
avtor
автор
avtor
autor
aкo
ako
ako
аkо
if
адрес
adres
адрес
adres
address
астма
astma
астма
astma
asthma
ат а к а
ataka
ат а к а
ataka
assault
афион
afion
афион
afion
poppy
ax
ah
ax
ah
oh
Let's go to the words of the second Bulgarian letter Б: 13
Bulgarian
Macedonian
translation
wri writen
pronun.
writen
pronun.
баба
baba
баба
baba
gammer
бавене
bavene
бавене
ba bavene
slow-coach
бавно
bavno
бавно
bavno
slow
багаж
bagazh
багаж
bagazh
baggage
багра
bagra
багра
bagra
bloom
баджанак badzhanak бацанак badzhanak brother in law байряк
bayryak
баjpak
bayryak
banner
балама
balama
балама balama
stupid
белег
beleg
белег
blaze
beleg
Or with the letter E: Bulgarian
Macedonian
writen
pronun.
writen
pronun.
евнух
evnuh
евнух
evnuh
translation
eunuch
еволюирам evolyuiram еволуирам evoluiram evolve евреин
evrein
евреин
evrein
jew
евро европе пеец ец
evro evrope peet etss
евро европе пеец ец
evro evrope peet etss euro europe pean an
евтиния
evtiniy iniyaa
евтиниja
evtin tiniya
cheapn apness
егейски
egeyski
егеjски
egeyski
Aegean
егоист
egoist
егоист
egoist
egoist
едел еделва вайс йс
edel edelva vay ys
едел еделва ваjс jс
edel edelv vays ays
edel edelw weiss eiss
едина единайс йсет ет edin edinay ayset set
един единае аесет сет edin edinae aeset set elev eleven en
ерес
eres
ерес
e re s
heresy
езеро
ezero
езеро
ezero
lake
This This can can be seen seen in the the whol wholee dict dictio iona nary ry.. Only Only when when the the exist existen ence ce of Serb Serbian ian words words in the the “Macedonian” language must be justified, then they resort to translation. Or when they get to the archaisms from the Bulgarian language that have remained in the “Macedonian”. For example: не ме е еня, B. обущарница, B. -
не ми е гаjле, M.бръснарница, кондурџиjница, M.
B.
-
берберница,
M.
The The Bulg Bulgari arian an word word мелн мелнич ичар ар (meln (melnich ichar) ar) is "tran "transla slate ted" d" in “Mac “Macedo edoni nian an”” as воде водени нича чар р (vodenichar) and the Bulgarian воденичар (vodenichar) is "translated" as мелничар (melnichar). But both words are Bulgarian and mean a miller.This dictionary can be well called Bulgarian Bulgarian and then one can't justify its creation. The Skopjan linguists tried to justify this booklet by writing series of notices in different newspapers. They wrote: "This dictionary will be helpful mainly to Bulgarian guests that visit our restaurants, hotels, cinemas, and other public places, in their conversations with Macedonian citizens". But the Bulgarians that visit the unfortunate Vardar area felt proud that their brothers and sisters speak just like them. So they have no need of this 14
dictionary. This was proved by its creators who "translated" over 5 thousand Bulgarian words into ... pure Bulgarian language. Footnotes:
* The The so-c so-cal alled led Mace Macedo doni nian an Liter Literary ary Lang Langua uage ge is too too hasty hasty in its its deve develo lopm pmen ent. t. Whil Whilee in the the dictionaries we can't find a lot of Serbian words, the everyday official language contains 85 - 90 % Bulgarian words, 5 - 9 % Serbian, 1 - 2 % Macedonian dialectisms, and 1 - 3 % foreignisms. ** These letters are ќ and ѓ . They are modified by Serbian ђ and ћ. *** This note-is not entirely correct. The differences between Bulgarian and Macedonian alphabets are as follow: follow: Bg й щ ъ ь ю я ль нь нь гь гь кь кь дж дж дз дз Mc ј шт ' ј јy јy ja љ њ ѓ ќ џ ѕ **** **** is old old Bulg Bulgar arian ian lett letter er from from the the times times of St. St. Klim Klimen entt Ohrid Ohridsk ski. i. It It is suppr suppres esse sed d by the the Macedonian and Bulgarian communists after 1945 but is in use in the editions of some emigrant organizations. organizations. Depending Depending on the the dialect it is pronounced pronounced as Ъ, A or O, O, for example example c бота: cъбота, cъбота, сабота, собота (sabota, sobota).
15
ADVENT OF MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE (DOCUMENTS)
"Stenografski beleshki od konferentsiite na filoloshkata komisia za ustanovuenje na makedonskata azbuka i makedonskiot literaturen jazik", Skopje, November 27th - December 3rd, 1944. "Stenographic Memoirs from the Conferences of the Philological Commission for Establishment of the Macedonian Alphabet and Macedonian Literary language" The advent of the so-called "Macedonian literary language" is an unique in the European linguistic reali reality ty,, and and had had not not anyt anythi hing ng comm common on with with the the norm normal al spri spring ngin ing g up and and deve develo lopm pmen entt of the the languages languages in the continent. In contrast to all European languages, languages, the so-called so-called "Macedonian literary language" is created from a group of people: 1) on some date, not very far before; 2) in some place; 3) with a decree. On Augu August st 2nd, 2nd, 1944 1944,, in the the mona monaste stery ry St. Proh Prohor or Pchi Pchins nski ki,, on the the first first meet meetin ing g of ASNO ASNOM M (Anti(Anti-fasc fascist ist Assemb Assembly ly for People People Libera Liberation tion of Macedo Macedonia) nia),, a decree decree for "sluzh "sluzhben ben"" langua language, ge, which "vleguva vednaga vo sila" (immediately is applyed), was announced. Some months later again administrative administratively ly - this language language is up-invented, up-invented, and sanctioned sanctioned with voting voting of 10 teachers, one poet, and one politician - ASNOM representative, on the conference in the Skopje gradski odbor (city hall) in the period November 27th - December 3rd, 1944. (Attending: Risto Prodanov, Risto Zografski, Dr Georche Shoptrajan, Dare Dzhambaz, Vasil Iliev, Dr Mihail Petrushevski, Krume Toshev, Mirko Pavlov, Gjorge Kiselinov, Blazho Koneski, Dr Milka Balvanlieva - all teachers, Venko Venko Markov Markovski ski - a poet, poet, Epamin Epaminond ondaa Popand Popandono onov v (from (from ASNOM) ASNOM).. - the names names are written written according the protocol from November 27th, 1944. Stenographer: J. Kostevski.) The documents of the stenographers protocols from the inventive meetings, which took less than a week in the building of Skopski odbor, can show the absurdity of the advent of this language, and can give an explanation, why this language practically is not spoken from anyone in the Republic of Macedonia, including from its "creators". Here we have in mind especially the pronunciation of the prominent codificator of Skopska norm, Bl. Koneski, author of the many times issued "Gramatika na makedo makedonsk nskiot iot literat literature uren n jazik", jazik", Skopje, Skopje, 1952, 1952, which which is full full with with many many deviati deviations ons from from the created by him rules. We shall give, with a minimum commentary, the typical moments of creating the "new language", which is on the base of the south-western Bulgarian speeches in Macedonia. Now enjoy the discussions: 1. Self-acknowledgement, that the decisions of the commission are not scientific: "It will be good, if we can reconcile the views, to find something mild, it can be not scientific, but practical, and in moderation. Kiril also had a hard time. (here St Constantine Cyril is in mind!) Let we also try hardly, without hurry." hurry." - Krume Tosheski, p. 35. 2. Fast inventing of the language: "We have not time to wait this language to be made. We are in fast need to have a literary language, and have no time, and cannot wait this language to be made from poets, bookmen and journalists. In France, as a literary language, Paris dialect is taken, in 16
Russia - Moscow dialect, in Serbia - Hertsegovina dialect. From these dialects, after that, continuously a literary language has developed. But, as I have said, we have not time to wait some our dialect to be developed into literary language." language." - Gjorge Kiselinov, p. 3. 3. The teachers of the new-created language will be also low-literate: "Our teachers will be with fifth-sixth grade. Teaching with low-qualified teachers will be very difficult." difficult." - Krume Tosheski, p. 34. 4. The artificial rules will be never acquired nor by pupils, nor by the elderly people: "Here, the word is for the paedagogics and for the pupils. But it is all the same also for the elderly people. These people people will never learn the rules." - Risto Prodanov, p. 30. 5. Falsifying the language history, in order falsifying the reality to be acquitted - (here a long pseudo-study of Gjorge Kiselinov is omitted. Grand-grand-childrens of Alexander of Macedon, etc.) 6. Acknowledgement, that the revivalists in Macedonia wrote by the canons of Bulgarian language: "Konstantin Miladinov called the dialect of his songs struzhko-resenski. But it is nor Struga dialect, nor Resen dialect. One of the main characteristics of our Macedonian language is the stress. In our language the stress is on the third syllable from the end of the word. If we take his poem (of K. Miladinov) "T'ga za jug", it is melodical only if it is pronunciated with Bulgarian stress. Here it is! (Recites.) But if we recite it with the typical Macedonian stress, on the third syllable from the end of the word, what we shall obtain? (Recites.) You see, that there is not rhythm." rhythm." - Venko Markovski, p. 15. 7. The commiss commission ion is also engaged engaged in futuro futurolog logy: y: "In "In the the notnot-ne near ar futu future, re, in the the edge edge of the the capitalism and the imperialism, a common Slavic language will be developed, not only common Yugoslavian language. We do not know in which direction it will be developed, but most probably this will be the Russian language, which gave so much words to the Germans and the Americans in - Dare Dzhambaz, p. 40-41. technics." 8. If the common Yugoslavian language will be not developed, than a try with the Russian can be made: "Our made: "Our comrade said, that we must have in mind an aspiration towards a common Yugoslavian language. ... But you can have in mind, that a common Yugoslavian language is an illusion, and cannot be made. Why? Because the Serbs and Bulgarians have their literature ... If we want to create a common Yugoslavian language, than they ought to refuse from their literature, and from their literary language, and to accept the new one. But this will never happen. We, Macedonians, which have not until now our literature, and our common literary language, would not refuse from the ours, and the Serbs and the Bulgarians would not surely refuse also. But if we cannot made a common Yugoslavian language, than we can made a common Slavic language, and it will be the Russian language, which can be imposed with the space and the width of the Russian word." Gjorgi Kiselinov, p. 38. Remark Remark:: All citatio citations ns are taken taken from from "Steno "Stenogra grafsk fskii belesh beleshki ki od konfer konferent entsiit siitee na filolos filoloshka hkata ta komisia komisia za ustano ustanovue vuenje nje na makedo makedonsk nskata ata azbuka azbuka i makedo makedonsk nskiot iot literat literature uren n jazik", jazik", Skopje Skopje November 27th - December Dece mber 3rd, 1944. 17
NATURE OF STANDARD MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE by Mladen Srbinovski, "Glas", Skopje, No. 23/Dec. 1995
Part I It is forbidden for everybody, who works on and with the language of Macedonia, to do remarks on it. From this restriction, only the people from the scientific institutions, secretly blessed by the official authorities by some strange "criteria", are excluded. The other people, which do not think like the Macedonian linguists and historians, and dare to express openly a disagreement, are under many troubles and dangers.
My opin opinio ion n on the the forb forbid idde den n Maced Macedon onian ian subj subjec ects ts is a humb humble le one, one, but but on the the othe otherr hand hand,, is completely mine. Similar is my opinion on the nature of the standard Macedonian language, the language on which I am educated and brought up, the language which I use and on which I write. Everybody can reach to similar concept of Macedonian traumas if decides to study the Macedonian problematics - it is not necessary a high intellectual level, only a bit of honesty. But the latter is in lack of Skopjean Skopjean Macedonists, Macedonists, and because of this lack are our disagreements. disagreements. I shal shalll begi begin n with with the the comp compul ulso sory ry educ educat atio ion, n, whic which h was was impo impose sed d over over me, me, and and with with the the thoughtlessnesses, which I had to absorb until I studied the national problematics. We meet everyday, read and hear since our childhood, that "Macedonian language is the youngest, but simultaneously the oldest from all Slavic languages." The logical thoughtlessnesses and stupidities which are put into us in the schools are many ones, but the best way is they to be accepte accepted d withou withoutt contrad contradicti iction on and mocker mockery, y, because because otherw otherwise ise you you can be regard regarded ed from from your your teenagers years as a suspicious one. The doubt in the logics of the above sintagma led me to my first collision with my teachers, which gave me troubles. "What for an audacity! How is it possible, that a student cannot understand, that his language is the youngest, but simultaneously the oldest from all Slavic languages because of the specific conditions of its development! Here is nothing for doubt or non-understanding, the suspicious is YOU!" - was the reply, which I received. If you are not satisfied with the similar solutions of the ideological knots, on which the macedonism is based, and you begin to untie them, you will inevitably reach my position, but for the unbinding it is necessary you longly to investigate the pathology of the macedonist lie. My humble person will try try now now to give give his his explan explanati ation on abou aboutt the the abov abovee ment mentio ione ned d enig enigma ma abou aboutt "the "the youn younge gest, st, but but simultaneously the oldest from all languages", which on first glance is like the sophism of the priority of the egg or the hen. The attempt to unbind this maybe the most tightened knot of the Gordian unit of macedonism can be regarded as an attempt to understand and explain the nature of the standard Macedonian language. The question is very serious, but as it is given by Skopjean linguists, it is like Gogol literary material from his unwritten satire. But who does know, maybe the Skopjean linguists had (and have) Gogol sense of humor. In this case the (d)effect is like that of Buster Keeton - everybody laughs, but you remain deadly serious. Part II The historical continuity of the youngest of all Slavic languages goes only 50 years ago - since ASNOM from 1944, and the three language commissions, which created our language. Using those 18
political steps, it was decided one western Macedonian dialect to be written on the reformed Vuk alphabet, alphabet, and to be raised to the level of literary language. language. The grounds for that approach towards the new language are best described by the contributors in the language commissions. Venko Markovski: "You can accept it as a directive, to write with the Vuk alphabet." Milka Balvanlieva-Georgevich: "With the Serbo-Croatian alphabet we shall have Yugoslav alphabet." The transitio transition n over over the high high artific artificial ial fence, fence, and seekin seeking g the connect connection ion with the older older written written tradition before the last half of the XX century, denotes the transition from the youngest to the oldest oldest of the Slavic Slavic langu language ages. s. The psycho psycholog logical ical barrier barrier for separat separation ion from from the oldest oldest literary literary Slavic language is created in us from our bringing up. For my generation, educated after the war and using the youngest literary Slavic language, the oldest literary Slavic language is unintelligible already. Except some linguist somewhere, it is very seldom some of us to read even one sentence from "his" oldest Slavic language. With nowadays spelling, we, the new generations, cannot even write down correctly our names and families. This is the most bright illustration of the continuity between the youngest literary Slavic language and the oldest one. The macedonists care to give us "translated" from the oldest to the youngest of all Slavic languages even texts written in the 20-ies of this century in order they to be intelligible for us. Even the "apostle of macedonism", Misirkov, we can only read transcribed, because as he wrote is unintelligible for us. This artificial division, glossotomy by which from one language were created two ones, was a dexterious political step, and a stage, which was in the past. Insistment in Macedonia our texts to be read in original is regarded as a scandal one. In our past can dare to penetrate only selected persons, which can freely use the "scientific" method - falsification. Glossotomy led to the fact, that the Macedonian language today is in crazy fast motion, and according to Heisenberg principle, because of the excess velocity, the direction of this motion cannot be determined. The poor written tradition, which is assigned as written heritage to the contemporary Macedonian language, is inheritance written on the western dialects of "prostejshi neknizhoven bolgarski ezik" (K. Pejchinovich) and Macedonian scientists catch on that straw as drunkards on the table. Of course, course, and that sintagma sintagma "prostejshi "prostejshi neknizhoven neknizhoven bolgarski bolgarski ezik" is falsified falsified for the students, students, and is represented before them as the Macedonian people speach, predecessor of the Macedonian literary language. In such a case, using political alchemy, "prostejshi neknizhoven bolgarski ezik" is raised to the rank of the youngest of all Slavic literary languages. The same language, which equally in rights, participated for more than a thousand of years in the developing and the enrichment of the oldest oldest of written Slavic languages - the Bulgarian one. Part III Unti Untill recen recently tly,, in Greec Greece, e, ther theree were were two two offic officia iall vari varian ants ts of the the Greek Greek liter literar ary y langu language age katharevousa, katharevousa, or the pure language, and dimotiki dimotiki - the language of the peasants. Both variants were used in the state, they were equally in rights, and were simultaneously used. If it was possible two official variants of one and the same language to exist in one and the same state, it is even more possible such variants to coexist in two neighboring countries. I doubt that somebody which is concerned with writing, can oppose against the advantage of existence of two languages, as sprouts of one and the same trunk, but the things are complex in the Balkans. The Macedonian language is above all a political puzzle, and the thesis for mutually enrichment of the languages is a high treason for the Macedonian linguistics. My non-prejudices unbinding of the most important knot of 19
the Macedonian problems leads me to the following interpreting of the conceptions of "the oldest and the young youngest est writte written n Slavic Slavic langua languages ges"" - the katharevousa, katharevousa, used as the literary standard in Bulg Bulgari aria, a, is the the olde oldest st writt written en Slav Slavic ic langu languag age; e; and and the the dimotiki, dimotiki, as lite litera rary ry vari varian antt used used in Macedonia, is the youngest written Slavic language. It is not to be recommended, or allowed (and until recently it was punishable very strictly) to read anything written on the oldest language, the katharevousa. katharevousa. The reason is very simple - in such a case the most important consequence from the use of both languages is avoided - the establishment of a point of quiet. We all know from the physics lessons, that it is necessary to point to some body, which is in a condition of quiet, in order to be determined which body is in motion. Without the support of such a point of quiet, we feel ourselves as in an auto-station, when it is not possible for us to say even for a moment, which bus is starting, and which is standing still. For more than 50 years, the artificial condition of quiet is maintained, and none contact is allowed between the youngest and the oldest of the written Slavic lang langua uage ges. s. The The olde oldest st of all all writt written en Slav Slavic ic lang langua uage gess is exac exactly tly such such a poin pointt of quiet quiet for for the the youngest one. It was enough for me to read one book on the oldest of all written Slavic languages, in order to discover discover that point point of quiet for the youngest youngest Slavic language, which I use every day. In every state, choosing one dialect as an official language is a political treaty, consensus, a ball of snow, which with its rolling will be increased and enriched. And Macedonian literary language is such a snow ball, created by the force of such political treaty, and put to roll over a steep slope, until Macedonian adepts are asking and amazing for 50 years how is stained and neglected the youngest of the Slavic languages. In its accelerating motion, it gathers from Vuk language everything which is necessary to it - from spelling to lexics, and even the idioms... And it is logical, having motion in this direction, earlier or later, the youngest of Slavic languages to conclude with its motion, to pacify and merge with Vuk language. The direction of motion of the youngest of all Slavic langu language agess can be easily easily determ determine ined, d, using using Heisen Heisenber berg g princi principle ple,, the only only thing thing which which can be discussed is the velocity of this motion. I sincerely hope, that this is not the velocity of the light. And if in XIX c. the big revivalist of Macedonia Konstantin Miladinov expressed the main attitude of the population of Macedonia on dimotiki in one beautiful song "T'ga za jug", in XX c. this attitude ought to be expressed most exactly as "T'ga za Sever". This is the main reason our service dimotiki to dimotiki to be guarded in every case and with all means from its meetings with its katharevousa. katharevousa.
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT NOTE:
Wherever in this paper one reads about “Aegean (part of) Macedonia”, one should think of the historical province of Macedonia proper in northern Greece, which roughly corresponds to the extent of the ancient kingdom of the same name, of which most notable rulers were Philip and his son, Alexander III the Great. The “three parts” extended Macedonia region of “Aegean + Vardar + Pirin” is a later historical development, a delimitation of Macedonia’s territory adopted by the early modern era Bulgarian and FYRo’M’ Slavic nationalists, which roughly corresponds to the Roman empire’s administrative units (provinces) of Macedonia Prima (the earlier kingdom) and Macedonia Salutaris. Also, wherever in this paper one reads about “Vardar (part of) Macedonia” or simply “Macedonia” and “Macedonian” referring to the country north of modern Greece, its culturally Slavic people and their native Slavic language, one should think of “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, the FYRo’M’ Slavs and, respectively, their FYRo’M’ Slavic language (a Bulgarian dialect or a Serbo-Bulgarian “language”). 20
