Macedonia Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Record of the Macedonian language from the 16th century The texts presented for analysis in this article were produced by the Institut Detudes Slave, De L'universite De Paris in 1958, and are a study based on words and phrases from... more

Record of the Macedonian language from the 16th century

The texts presented for analysis in this article were produced by the Institut Detudes Slave, De L'universite De Paris in 1958, and are a study based on words and phrases from Macedonia in the 16th century. It is one of the earliest manuscripts written in a purely Macedonian vernacular tongue, and its content was collected from the village of Bogatsko, which is found in the region of Kostur in the south-west of Macedonia. The author remains anonymous and the only likely conclusion that can be drawn is that he may have spoken the Macedonian language natively or acquired it as an additional tongue due to living in close proximity to people who spoke it. The texts were written using the Greek alphabet, which was not uncommon in the Macedonian Peninsula during the Ottoman period, as similar examples with the Albanian and Vlach languages have demonstrated.
Vocabulary and Linguistic Characteristics The texts reveal distinctive local features that have tenaciously survived the ages, and are still present in a number of today's spoken Macedonian dialects. This fact reveals the remarkable consistency of the Macedonian language despite the lack of state support or schooling until the 20th century. Below is a sample of words from the texts, along with linguistic characteristics peculiar to the language of the Macedonians. Animal/Food/Anatomy Terms - Mrave (Ants); Tsurvets (Worm), Sokol (Falcon), Vraptsi (Birds), Golobi (Pigeons), Kokoshki (Chickens), Petel (Rooster), Oftsi (Sheep), Kozi (Goats), Jagne (Lamb), Mechika (Bear), Elen (Deer), Lisitsa (Fox), Kon (Horse), Krusha (Pear), Meso (Meat), Sireni (Cheese), Jajtsa (Eggs), Vino (Wine), Sol (Salt), Zhito (Grain), Koska (Bone), Gas (Buttocks), Kuro (Penis), Made (Testicles). Unique and Loan Words - The word Galuhtsi (Mice) is used, which can also be said as Gluhtsi or Gluftsi, and Macedonians are the only people who use this word. The word Veligden (Easter) is used, pronounced with the 'g' in Macedonian only. Turkish loans are very rare, one example being Jorgano (Blanket). Dialectal and Jat Features - The Kostur region contains dialects that have retain several archaic characteristics, such as the word Ranka (Hand) rather than the more common Macedonian variant of Raka. An interesting trend is found in the use of multiple transitions of the Jat feature that is present in various Macedonian and Slavonic dialects. For example, the text employs the word Dedo (Grandfather) and not Djado, yet Hljap (Bread) and not Lep or Leb. Definite Articles - The typical Macedonian postfixed definite article is exhibited in words such as Krushata (The Pear) and Dushata (The Soul). It is also noted in the word Patot (The Path) for 'the path' , although as the case of Jorgano (The Blanket) demonstrates, the 't' at the end can also be dropped, as in several of today's Macedonian dialects.
Words and Phrases, Unchanged for Centuries. Containing a rich glossary and in excess of 300 words and phrases, the texts demonstrate the strength of the Macedonian language through preservation. Following is a comparison of sentences between the texts and the Macedonian dialect of Bitola as spoken today. 16th cent., Kostur dialect 21st cent., Bitola dialect Gospodine, brate, da si zdrav, da si prost, ostavi ni da spime, ela da jame, i da pieme, dol da pojdime, da rabotime. Gospodine, brate, da si zdrav, da si prost, ostai ne da spiame, ela da jaime, i da piame, dolu da pojdime, da rabotime. Imate hljap-o da kupime, imate vino da kupime, ot koja strana da pojdime vo Bogatsko. Imate lep da kupime, imate vino da kupime, od koja strana da pojdime vo Bogatsko. As can be clearly noticed, most of the vocabulary and grammar is identical. All of the elements that would later be required to rejuvinate the Macedonian people as they were shaking off centuries of subjugation, were present during this period. The language of the people had solidified, a tradition of heraldry and symbolism had developed which incorporated the emblem of a rapant lion and historical figures from Macedonia's past, and the churches continued preserve the local customs and serve as cultural centres for the population. The significance of all these elements together cannot be overstated, the language of medieval Macedonia is the same as the language of the Macedonians today. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the larger amount of Macedonian literature from the Middle Ages has survived, much of it being looted and destroyed by Greek-speaking officials, clerics and teachers. Nevertheless, Macedonian as a language reached its current form centuries before the creation of the Macedonian Peninsula states in the 19th and 20th centuries.