Introduction to the Croatian and Serbian Language provides an introduction to the language traditionally called Serbo-Croatian, although it is also referred to as Serbian or Croatian. There are two main variants of the language: Croatian (Western) and Serbian (Eastern). Unique in its equal treatment of the two principal variants, this book presents the two alphabets used (Latin and Cyrillic), the representation of lexical items specific to each variant, and pronunciation and syntactic differences. A dictionary is also included.
Three official languages have emerged in the Balkan region that was formerly Yugoslavia: Croatian in Croatia, Serbian in Serbia, and both of these languages plus Bosnian in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, a Textbook introduces the student to all three. Dialogues and exercises are presented in each language, shown side by side for easy comparison; in addition, Serbian is rendered in both its Latin and its Cyrillic spellings. Teachers may choose a single language to use in the classroom, or they may familiarize students with all three. This popular textbook is now revised and updated with current maps, discussion of a Montenegrin language, advice for self-study learners, an expanded glossary, and an appendix of verb types. It also features: • All dialogues, exercises, and homework assignments available in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian • Classroom exercises designed for both small-group and full-class work, allowing for maximum oral participation • Reading selections written by Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian authors especially for this book • Vocabulary lists for each individual section and full glossaries at the end of the book • A short animated film, on an accompanying DVD, for use with chapter 15 • Brief grammar explanations after each dialogue, with a cross-reference to more detailed grammar chapters in the companion book, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, a Grammar.
Introduction to the Croatian and Serbian Language provides an introduction to the language traditionally called Serbo-Croatian, although it is also referred to as Serbian or Croatian. There are two main variants of the language: Croatian (Western) and Serbian (Eastern). Unique in its equal treatment of the two principal variants, this book presents the two alphabets used (Latin and Cyrillic), the representation of lexical items specific to each variant, and pronunciation and syntactic differences. A dictionary is also included.
Language rifts in the Balkans are endemic and have long been both a symptom of ethnic animosity and a cause for inflaming it. But the break-up of the Serbo-Croatian language into four languages on the path towards mutual unintelligibility within a decade is, by any previous standard of linguistic behaviour, extraordinary. Robert Greenberg describes how it happened. Basing his account on first-hand observations in the region before and since the communist demise, he evokes the drama and emotional discord as different factions sought to exploit, prevent, exacerbate, accelerate or just make sense of the chaotic and unpredictable language situation. His fascinating account offers insights into the nature of language change and the relation between language and identity. It also provides a uniquely vivid perspective on nationalism and identity politics in the former Yugoslavia.
Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian: An Essential Grammar is intended for beginners and intermediate students who need a reference that explains grammar in straightforward terms. It covers all the main areas of the modern single BCMS grammatical system in an accessible way, and free from jargon. When linguistic terminology is used, it is explained in layman’s terms, the logic of a rule is presented simply and near parallels are drawn with English. This book covers all the grammar necessary for everyday communication (reaching B1 and B2 of the CEFR, ACTFL Intermediate-Intermediate- Mid). The book comprises of extensive chapters on all parts of speech, the creation of different word forms (endings for cases in nouns and adjectives, case forms for pronouns, tenses, verbal modes, verbal aspect etc.) and their uses in sentences. Each rule is illustrated with numerous examples from everyday living language used in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. This is a unique reference book in English aimed at the level of language study that treats BCMS as a single grammar system, explaining and highlighting all the small differences between the four variants of this polycentric language.
An up-to-date and practical reference guide to the most important aspects of Serbian as used by contemporary native speakers of the language, this jargon-free text presents an accessible description of the language, focusing on the real patterns of use today.
Balkan Holocausts? compares and contrasts Serbian and Croatian propaganda from 1986 to 1999, analyzing each group's contemporary interpretations of history and current events. It offers a detailed discussion of holocaust imagery and the history of victim-centered writing in nationalism theory, including the links between the comparative genocide debate, the so-called holocaust industry, and Serbian and Croatian nationalism. No studies on Yugoslavia have thus far devoted significant space to such analysis.
The Beginner's Series offers basic language instruction, with grammar, vocabulary, and common phrases presented in clear, concise lessons. Review questions and exercises accompany each lesson. Historical and cultural information provides insight into customs and everyday situations. Books in this series are ideal for students, travelers, and businesspeople. This book together with the 2 CDs is designed for both classroom use and self-study. Each of the 15 lessons includes a dialogue about an everyday topic, vocabulary lists, explanations of grammar, and exercises. Audio CDs accompany the lessons, providing correct pronunciation of the dialogues and vocabulary, with pauses for repetition by the student. Includes: An introduction to Croatia; Fifteen practical lessons with dialogues, vocabulary, and expressions; Exercises with answer keys; Croatian-English and English-Croatian glossaries; Two audio CDs of dialogues and vocabulary spoken by native Croatian speakers.
The book brings together many of the best known commentators and scholars who write about former Yugoslavia. The essays focus on the post-Yugoslav cultural transition and try to answer questions about what has been gained and what has been lost since the dissolution of the common country. Most of the contributions can be seen as current attempts to make sense of the past and help cultures in transition, as well as to report on them. The volume is a mixture of personal essays and scholarly articles and that combination of genres makes the book both moving and informative. Its importance is unique. While many studies dwell on the causes of the demise of Yugoslavia, this collection touches upon these causes but goes beyond them to identify Yugoslavia's legacy in a comprehensive way. It brings topics and writers, usually treated separately, into fruitful dialog with one another.
Why did Yugoslavia fall apart? Was its violent demise inevitable? Did its population simply fall victim to the lure of nationalism? How did this multinational state survive for so long, and where do we situate the short life of Yugoslavia in the long history of Europe in the twentieth century? A History of Yugoslavia provides a concise, accessible, comprehensive synthesis of the political, cultural, social, and economic life of Yugoslavia—from its nineteenth-century South Slavic origins to the bloody demise of the multinational state of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Calic takes a fresh and innovative look at the colorful, multifaceted, and complex history of Yugoslavia, emphasizing major social, economic, and intellectual changes from the turn of the twentieth century and the transition to modern industrialized mass society. She traces the origins of ethnic, religious, and cultural divisions, applying the latest social science approaches, and drawing on the breadth of recent state-of-the-art literature, to present a balanced interpretation of events that takes into account the differing perceptions and interests of the actors involved. Uniquely, Calic frames the history of Yugoslavia for readers as an essentially open-ended process, undertaken from a variety of different regional perspectives with varied composite agenda. She shuns traditional, deterministic explanations that notorious Balkan hatreds or any other kind of exceptionalism are to blame for Yugoslavia’s demise, and along the way she highlights the agency of twentieth-century modern mass society in the politicization of differences. While analyzing nuanced political and social-economic processes, Calic describes the experiences and emotions of ordinary people in a vivid way. As a result, her groundbreaking work provides scholars and learned readers alike with an accessible, trenchant, and authoritative introduction to Yugoslavia's complex history.
