Yazykovye protsessy na Balkanakh kak element natsional’nogo voprosa

Abstract

The author takes the case of the West Balkans to explore language in its relation to identity as well as in its role of a component in ethnic relationships. Among the key questions posed in the article are: What is the part that not just objective but also subjective factors play in the development of language? To what extent is language a historically determined phenomenon, and to what degree is it a result of “social engineering”, that is ideological efforts at consolidating the nation? The states that emerged out of the ruins of Yugoslavia have opted for the adoption of their own language standards and artificial delimitations drawn upon historical and dialect criteria as well as regional and local folklore and literary traditions. From the social anthropological perspective, the author examines the particularities of language policies and their actual outcomes in different countries of the region.