Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian:one language or four?

Speaker attitudes and language namingin the home countries and the diaspora

Autor/innen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13173/WS.70.2.250

Schlagwörter:

BCMS, survey, glottonyms, speakers’ attitudes, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Abstract

This paper aims to provide insights into speakers’ perspectives on whether B/C/M/S constitute a single language, as well as their use of the terms (glottonyms) that refer to these languages in the countries where they are spoken (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia) and in the German-speaking diaspora (Switzerland, Germany, Austria). The findings reveal that glottonyms and attitudes toward B/C/M/S vary primarily based on the speakers’ ethnic affiliation and, to a lesser extent, on their country of residence. The study uses a quantitative analysis of a transnational survey, complemented by an overview of the respondents’ language attitudes.

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27.08.2025

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