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Marko Stabej
Size isn't everything: the relation between Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian in Slovenia
The history of the Slovenian standard language has been marked by its relationship with other Slavic languages since its very beginning. The closer connection with Slavic languages in the nineteenth century was first seen as a necessary step in Slovenian language planning in order to eliminate the overwhelming German influence. Nevertheless, integrational Slavic language planning never really prevailed in the Slovenian language community. Contact between Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian became more extensive and sociolinguistically relevant in Yugoslavia. Although both languages formally had the same status, Serbo-Croatian tended to overtake prestige functions via various strategies in the language policy. Serbo-Croatian was dominant in some of the language domains in the Slovenian language community, for example, in the military; Slovenian territory was populated with speakers of Serbo-Croatian without any plans to make them proficient in Slovenian, etc. Serbo-Croatian thus became the hidden second language in Slovenia. The act of Slovenian independence in 1991, however, changed the linguistic situation considerably.
International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 0165-2516
Volume: 2007, 01/2007
Pages: 13 - 30