UniLang

linguoboy wrote:Wow, terrific post, pittmirg!

Thanks for appreciation!

FAZ had an article about the Hungarian minority in Transylvania:
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/frem ... ml?GEPC=s6

Levike, what do you think about it?

I only really talk to one or two people from this part of Europe. One is Slovenian and doesn't seem to hate anyone. he just thinks Croatians are kind of douchey for forcing Slovenians to speak their language instead of trying to learn or understand Slovenian themselves.

Then there is a Polish guy who told me Hungary liked Poland and that Poland has no issues with Czech Republic or Slovakia since they're very similar countries to Poland according to him. He says obviously Poland and Russian can't really be friends and there's some issues between Poland and Ukraine. And he also says Lithuania are still bitter. Don't recall him ever saying anything bad or good about Balkan nations.

Prowler wrote:I only really talk to one or two people from this part of Europe. One is Slovenian and doesn't seem to hate anyone. he just thinks Croatians are kind of douchey for forcing Slovenians to speak their language instead of trying to learn or understand Slovenian themselves.

I know a Slovenian-Croatian couple, and they speak English with one another. The Slovenian person has never said anything to me about feeling any pressure to learn Croatian, either from society or their partner, and the Croatian person has never expressed any frustration that their partner can't speak Croatian.

It was different back when Slovenia and Croatia were part of Yugoslavia of course, but that country broke up over a quarter of a century ago.

Where do they live?

I thought generally Slovenians and Croatians just liked making fun of each other a lot or something.

Saim wrote:Where do they live?

In their respective capitals. The Slovenian person grew up in a more rural area though.

It might help that Standard Croatian is Štokavian while Zagreb is Kajkavian...

Johanna wrote:Zagreb is Kajkavian

Historically yes, but it's apparently dying out there or at best heavily influenced by Shtokavian. When my cousin got married there, I asked his father-in-law who's from near Zagreb what languages he knew because I'd already been told he didn't speak any English. He said (in (Štokavian) Croatian), "Only Croatian." I tried asking him whether he spoke anything else at all, including Kajkavian, but he said no.

vijayjohn wrote:

Johanna wrote:Zagreb is Kajkavian

Historically yes, but it's apparently dying out there or at best heavily influenced by Shtokavian. When my cousin got married there, I asked his father-in-law who's from near Zagreb what languages he knew because I'd already been told he didn't speak any English. He said (in (Štokavian) Croatian), "Only Croatian." I tried asking him whether he spoke anything else at all, including Kajkavian, but he said no.

You'd get a similar response from most people here, that they speak Swedish and if you try to press them for anything else they will have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly, most who use the traditional dialect in their everyday life aren't even aware that they speak differently with outsiders, even though it's clear as day that they switch to Standard Swedish with a regional accent for anyone who pays attention.

Sure. But apparently, modern Zagreb speech is heavily Shtokavian-influenced Kajkavian and Kajkavian is mostly used by older people in Zagreb, whereas people are much more likely to speak it in (at least some parts of) the surrounding area (but not with foreigners, of course).

I've met young people from Zagreb and beyond pitch accent, the word "kaj" and the future tense (bum, buš + past tense jnstead of ću, ćeš + infinitive) they seem to pretty much speak Standard Croatian even amongst themselves. I also visited a friend in a small town in the area around Zagreb (Ivanić Grad), and none of his friends spoke Kaikavian (I was told that some people there do, but they don't). It seems like a textbook endangered language to me.

I thought this article about the Czech election was interesting, but I wouldn't know if it's accurate:
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/ ... ian-model/

Saim wrote:I've met young people from Zagreb and beyond pitch accent, the word "kaj" and the future tense (bum, buš + past tense jnstead of ću, ćeš + infinitive) they seem to pretty much speak Standard Croatian even amongst themselves.

I've been to the Zagorje and have never heard even that much of an attempt at Kajkavian, only Standard Croatian.