HOME

 

Taken from Hajduk's website: 

Who are Croats?

In Austro-Hungarian statistical records, according to Adolf Fiker, Serbs (of all three faiths, according to the statistics) made up 88.9% of Dalmatia, with Albanians composing, 0.2% and Italians the rest. Many "Croats," such as those in Herzegovina and around Dubrovnik and all of Dalmatia are the descendants of Serb converts to Catholicism by Franciscan monks. The Croats have been the most vile enemies of the Serbs in our history.

The following is a list of Croatian academics who affirm that contemporary "Croatian language" is simply a usurped form of Serbian. The original Croatian language was the kaykavian-chakavian idiom now marginalized as a dialect, but today in Croatia the shtokavian dialect is being used as the official language because most Croats do not speak kaykavian-chakavian (yet only 20% do). The information below will show that kaykavian-chakavian is being deliberately marginalized to increase the number of "Croats" by falsely using Catholicism as an identifying marker of "Croatianness".


QUOTE #1:

"Hrvati uvedoše i sami jezik štokavski,
akoprem ih je to stalo i stoji neizmjerno
truda jer i od svagdašnjeg domaćeg govora
daleko im je doći".

(Vežić, Neven, 1855; Milosavljević, II 28)


QUOTE #2:

"Oni se nadaju odoljeti ako pravopis i
gramatiku budemo imali odijeljenu od srbske"

Miškatović piše Jagiću
(Jagić, Spomeni mojega života, 62).


QUOTE #3:

"pravi Hrvati preko Kupe stanuju".
(Danica 1847, hrvatski pisac A. Tkalčević)

QUOTE #4:

"hrvaština stupiv preko Save, a poglavito
prek
o Kupe počima..."

(Ivan Kukuljević Arhiv, IX, 318; Đeric 158)

QUOTE #5:

"Mislim da smo već na dobrom putu.
Svi su vrlo svjesni te problematike,
od onih starijih pa do danas. Mi smo
nekakva najmlađa generacija. A kad
smo toga svi svjesni, onda bi doista
trebalo, kao što je Adam rekao, uvesti
kajkavski u škole kao hrvatski materinski
jezik. Javna je tajna koje su svi naši
akademici itekako svjesni da je hrvatski
standard kojeg sada imamo zapravo velikim
dijelom srpska inačica Vukovoga rječnika.
Srbi se z
ezaju i često znam od njih čuti:
"Ukrali ste nam jezik i još ste ga uništili".
To se kao ne smije reći, a to svi znaju."


(Vid Balog Međimurskim Novinama 04.02.2004)

QUOTE #6:

"U Dubrovniku, ako ne od
početka, a ono od pamtivjeka,
govorilo se srpski, govorilo
kako od pučana tako od vlastele;
kako kod kuće tako u javnom životu.
Jeste istina da su zapisnici raznih
vijeća vodili latinski, a prilika je
takođe da pod knezovima mletačkim,
njih radi, na vijećima se ponešto
raspravljalo i mletačkim i kojekakvim

govorom. Nego u općini od mletaka
oslobođenoj, srpski je raspravni jezik"

(Natko Nodilo Rad, 65, 117)


Below is an article by Andrej Urem, a Croat and a kaykavian-chakavian revivavalist and academic. He correctly concurs that the standard language of contemporary Croatia is Serbian and not Croatian and urges for a revival and demarginalization of cakavski-kajkavski into the standard language. The article is also anti-Serbian:



QUOTE #7:

"Krajem XV. stoljeća uslijedila je velika tragedija
hrvatskog naroda. Čakavski govor potisnut je u usko
priobalno područje, Kvarner i Istru, dok je novo vlaško
stanovništvo, pristiglo s osmanlijskim osvajačima, popunilo
'očišćen' prostor, donijevši sa sobom svoju tradiciju i jezik
(štokavštinu).

Značajka tog nametnu
tog nam jezika je (i)jekavski
izgovor i specifican rječnik s obiljem turcizama,
te preko turskog jezika preuzete arapske i perzijske
riječi. U tom smislu suvremeni književni jezik ima
manje-više neprekinutu tradiciju još od XVI stoljeća,
kada Dubrovčani ra
zvijaju bogatu književnost na štokavskom
narječju ijekavskog izgovora, koji se potom nameće i
Hrvatima pretežno ikavskog izgovora. Ujednačavanju
hrvatskog književnog jezika na štokavskom narječju
mnogo doprinose franjevci koji su djelovali u Dalmaciji,
Bo
sni i Slavoniji te već od polovice XVIII. stoljeća imaju
svoj jezični standard. Tek nastojanjem Ilirskog pokreta
ujedinjuju se svi Hrvati u jedan književni jezik štokavskog tipa.

Lingvisticko oblikovanje hrvatskog književnog jezika
u XIX. stoljeću, u z
naku je zagrebačke jezikoslovne
škole. 'Zasluge' i nastojanja Vuka S. Karadžica nagrađene
su 1861. kada je izabran za počasnog građanina grada Zagreba
i Požeške županije, čak je i biskup J.J. Strossmayer donirao
1000 forinti za tiskanje Vukovih još neizdan
ih spisa.

Taj jezik (štokavski), u osnovi vukovski nije bio
darovan već usvojen hrvatskom pomirljivošću i naivnošću.
Istovremeno, potpomognut politikom plemenskog 'rvatstva',
stvorio je neprirodnog blizanca – srpskog doppelgangera.
Čakavica je uzmicala,
povlačila se; izvorni jezik tisućljetne
tradicije gubio je već svaku bitku i smesturan u narječje
padao je u zaborav. Međutim, zastor još nije pao, moć pamćenja je moć života.

Čakavica se grijala uz domaće kameno ognjišće, skrito
tinjala pod pepelom i i
skra se nije nikad ugasila. Možda
ju je upravo to spasilo: iskonska ljubav za našu domaću
besdu i – strpljenje, ona slabasna nada da sve na koncu
prođe. Rano je veseliti se, jer bilo bi bolje da je do
kraja pokrije zaborav, nego da se uruči na razinu neu
kusnih
festivalskih blesavljenja ili da postane 'oružje i stigma'
lokalnog revolta.


Andrej Urem
U ISKONU GLAGOLJICE
Dec 06, 04

http://www.croatianworld.net/CROWNframes.htm?http://www.croatianworld.net/Letters/4888.htm


Below is an article by Tomislav Sunić, a writer and former US professor in political science, a Croat and a kaykavian-chakavian revivalist and academic. He also correctly concurs that the standard language of contemporary Croatia is Serbian and not Croatian and urges for a revival and demarginalization of chakavian-kaykavian into the standard language:


QUOTE #8:
The hybrid "Serbo-Croatian"
language was not only an oxymoron - it was primarily
a political ploy for bringing two different peoples into a
unitary unnatural whole. With the establishment of the new state
of Croatia in 1991, there was the public outcry to purify the
Croatian language of all Serbian words, and to show the world
Croatian distinctiveness - often at the expense of doctoring up
new and bizarre words.

After the Passion Play of Bleiburg in 1945, the Yugo-communist
commissars, enacted decrees that would thoroughly emasculate
the linguistic treasure trove of the Croatian language. The
rooted Croatian language was considered "counterrevolutionary."

Moreover, the usage of some popular regional idioms and expressions
from the cakavski or the kaikavski dialects, was viewed as
provincial, "hickish," or at best, primitive. Meanwhile the
titophile intelligentsia, in search of careers, started to
popularize the new hybrid of "Serbo-Croatian language."

In 1886 one unitary language was also designed for citizens
of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Following the annexation of Bosnia-
Herzegovina by the Austrian authorities, an attempt was made
to create a common language for the three different peoples
and cultures. This attempt soon came to a pitiful end. Likewise,
there is a tendency today, encouraged also by the international
community, to introduce the "Bosnian language." Most likely,
this centralistic attempt will also fail.

The Croatian language is the hallmark of Croatian national
identity; it has to be nurtured at all cost, notably by
introducing into its vocabulary idioms and expressions from
the local cakavski and kajkavski dialects. This "return to
the roots" is certainly much more expedient than resorting
to some new words, i.e. neologisms which often leave a bad
political aftertaste among domestic and foreign listeners
and interlocutors.


Tomislav Sunic
writer and former US professor in political science
http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/387/10947_croatia.html


Below is an article from an on-line encyclopedia which states that kaykavian-chakavian was the standard dialect of Croatia until the 15 century. However, "shtokavian" was used only and constantly by Serbs from before the 15th century and long after:

QUOTE #9:
Čakavsko narječje je do turske najezde u 15. stoljeću pokrivalo
veliko područje... Hrvatske, Like, dijela zapadne Bosne, Dalmacije
i praktički sve otoke. U 14. i 15. stoljeću se snažno afirmirao
čakavski kao hrvatski književni jezik. Nesporno je da j
e prvi
cjel
oviti spis «Vatikanski hrvatski molitvenik», nastao oko
1380-1400 u Dubrovniku kao prijepis s čakavskoga izvornika.


Source:
http://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrvatski_jezik


The Baška Tablet is the oldest document written in Croatian language. It dates from the 1100s and one can clearly see that it is in the chakavian idiom:
QUOTE #10:
AZ V' IME OTCA I S(I)NA I SVETAGO DUHA AZ'
OPAT' DR'ZhIHA PISAH SE O LEDNINE JuZhE
DA Z'V'NIM(I)R KRAL' HR'VAT'SKI V'
DNI SVOE V' SVETUJu LUCIJu I SVEDOCI
MI ZhUPAN' DESIMIRA KR'BAVE MARTIN' V L(I)CE
PRB'NEBZhA S' POSL' VIN(0)DOLE JaK(O)V' V OTOCE
DA IZhE TO POREChE KL'NI I BO(G) I *BI* AP(OSTO)LA I *G*
EVANJELISTI I S(VE)TAJa LUCIJa AM(E)N' DA IZhE SDE ZhIVET
MOLI ZA NE BOGA AZ OPAT' DBROVIT' Z' DAH'
CREK'V' SIJu I SVOEJu BRATIJu S DEVETIJu
V' DNI K'NEZA KOS'M'TA OBLAD AJuChAGO V'SU K'RAINU
I BJeShE V' T' DNI M IKULA V' OTOCh'CI S' SVETUJu LUCIJu V' EDINO
 


Below is an article from istrianet.org – a Croatian website, which asserts that Istrian chakavian preserves the oldest Croatian words. This is obvious since shtokavian has been shown to be distinctly Serbian and thus non-Croatian since it came to be used by Croats in the last few hundred years at a time when large numbers of Catholic Serbs began being absorbed into the Croatian ethnios (see article on Bosnia and Herzegovina). The article incorrectly refers to chakavian-kaykavian as a "dialect". However, the article contradicts itself because a dialects of a language cannot contain more "original words" than the standard language. The fact that chakavian-kaykavian contain more original Croatian words than shtokavian makes it self-evident that shtokavian is not an authentic Croatian idiom. As has been shown it is a late borrowing from Serbian.


QUOTE #11:
The dictionary "Gonan po naše" (my language) is a collection
of more than 5,000 words collected from the picturesque Labin
cakavican dialect derived from the inhabitants of Istria who
reside between the two beautiful inlets of Plomin and Rasa.
The inhabitants of Labin differ from the rest of Istria as they
speak in in cakavica, like the people of Lindar, our islands
Brac, Trogir, and the inhabitants of Komize on the island of Vis.

When speaking, they have a pronounced stress on the half vowels
of o and i, as well as using many archaic words from the Croatian
language which reveals that the people of Labin were numbered among
the first slav inhabitants of Istria.

Even today there are only a handful of writers in Labin who write
in their own dialect, and among them first the most authentic and
poetical are Zdenka Viskovic-Vukic and Daniel Nacinovic. Some of
their poems have been published in the prologue of this dictionary,
together with some other poems written in cakavica by poets from
Labin and some emigre' authors

One is to save many words from extinction which are disappearing
together with the ancient trades, traditions, stratums of village
life, and now with the exposure to the literary Croatian word. The
dictionary will stimulate the desire to keep and affirm cakavica not
only in everyday conversation, but as a strong and authentic medium
in creativity. Together with an improved knowledge about the value
of the language which has often been underrated, forbidden or a
subject of derision and ridicule, it will encourage the self-confidence
of its use among the people of Labin.

Source:
www.istrianet.org/istria/linguistics/istroslavo/gonan1sum-eng.htm


Below are samples of chakavian-kaykavian poetry written today by those who can speak the true Croat language. Compare its simmilarity with the language of the Baška Tablet and you will see an obvious continuity.

QUOTE #12:
PETRADA
Eno mista, di ko god je radi,
sa jednom nogom
je u greb uliza...

Svidok je pašarin
da čovik ni bi lin!
Za njega učinit,
vajalo se spotit;
spotit i umrit...
Gledan je
kako nimo priti,
od kad su iz nje kavaduri utekli!
Ostale su samo škaje
od ožmarane facade,
suze i kapi pota...
Sad koze tuda skačedu,
i guje lizedu,
i d
ica trčedu,
i ne razumidu;
da, ko god je tamo radi,
sa jednon nogon
je u greb uliza...
By:
Zlatan Jaksić
Selca, island of Brač


VRIME OD ŠKOJA
Šjoii Mariji iz Studene
Zanamisto od škoja, kad bi se reklo da puše od Fara,
ne bi se čovik obo vrimenu sa gušton razgovara.
Kad bi se reklo Vitar od Vrbanja
parila bi mu snaga tri puta manja.
I od Bogomoje
parilo bi da puše priko voje.
A od Pojic
da duha stari Jakovic.
Od Svete Nedije
ne bi se znalo ni di je;
a Svirča, Vrisnika i Pitav
- puno je molitav.
Tako i že
nska koju zovu Farkinja
- koliko da je strankinja!
I Faranka
hoće reć da se čovik oženi vanka.
Pa i bodulica
ka da je sirota - mulica.
Ni Farka
ni najboja marka.
Po guštu je samo Š k o j a r k a.
Samo Škojarka vridi suha zIata,
i to jon je onda ime
i prezi
me
i kazata.
By:
Zlatan Jaksić
Selca, otok Brač


OBID U PETRADI
Sedi se na dvi stine,
u glavi susuraju mine,
a u rukan remine,
i jida se na dicu
da su zaboravili donit zlicu,
i da ne znaju kazat novidati,
a to bi tukalo znat u petradi;
i neka se drugi put paricadu
bez tabaka doc u petradu.
A sada odma da se gre u selo,
i uz Podbrdje, senca skerci, kapu na celo!
I neka se doma sve lipo pozdravi,
a mater svakako da ono ne zaboravi.
By:
Zlatan Jaksić
Selca, otok Brač


 
If Croatia's borders were to be modified to include only those who retain the original Croatian language, Croatia would look like this. The rest of the lands are inhabitted by Serbs. See below...


This is the earliest source referring to Serbs OR Croats in modern day Croatia (Krajina: consisting of Banija, Kordun, Lika and Northern Dalmatia) and it suggests that all other LATER references to Croats instead of Serbs in this region are actually references to a Croatianized SERB population.

Since the Chronicles mention Serbs in Lika in the 700s this suggests that the population was croatianized by Tomislav in the 10th century when he built the mighty empire described in DAI.

It suggests that Tomislav's empire was mostly composed of conquered Serb land, as it contained lands described by Einhardt and quoted by Croat, Kukuljevic as being inhabited by Serbs. Here is the 19th century Croatian nobleman, historian and revivalist, Ivan Kukuljevic quoting "The Annals" of the Frankish King Einhardt who together with the Serbs and Croats, defeated the Avar Khanate. The document is from the 8th century:

QUOTE #13:
""Liudevitus Siscia civitate relicta,
ad Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatie
partem obtinere dicitur, fugiendo se contulit"
(in latin)

"Ljudevit (prince of Lower Pannonia 822)
having left the city of Sisak, fled to the
Serbs, people inhabiting the greater part
of Dalmatia)".

I. Kukuljevic
Codex diplom
II, 148, p. 21.
quoting:
"The Annals of Einhardt"
from the 8th century AD


 

ATTENTION READER:
All the quotes which have been listed are those of academics of CROATIAN ethnicity. No Serb sources were used to prove that 4/5 of modern Croatia is of Serb ethnicity or that contemporary standard Croatian is a version of the Serbian language.