Macedonian language

:This article is about the modern Slavic language called Macedonian by its speakers. For the unrelated Hellenic language spoken in the ancient world, see Ancient Macedonian language.

Related Topics:
Slavic language - Hellenic - Ancient Macedonian language

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The Macedonian language (Македонски, Makedonski) is a language in the Eastern group of South Slavic languages and is official language of Republic of Macedonia. Macedonian is also spoken in Australia, Canada, USA, Greece, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey and minority from countries of European Union. Total number of native Macedonian speakers is estimated around 2 million.

Related Topics:
Language - Slavic languages - Republic of Macedonia - Australia - Canada - USA - Greece - Albania - Serbia and Montenegro - Turkey - European Union

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The Macedonian language is most closely related to the Bulgarian language. Macedonian also has similarities with Serbian, particularly Old Serbian. Bulgarian and Macedonian share typological similarities with Romanian, Greek, and Albanian. These five languages make up the Balkan language league, even though they are all from different language families (Romanian is a Romance language, while Greek and Albanian comprise their own branches in the Indo-European family).

Related Topics:
Bulgarian language - Serbian - Typological - Romanian - Greek - Albanian - Balkan language league - Romance language - Indo-European

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Macedonian is the official language in the Republic of Macedonia, and officially recognized in the District of Korçë in Albania. Native speakers are also found in Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, and Albania. All the languages of the ethnic communities with over 20% of representation in municipalities are municipal official languages. These include Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, and Romany.

Related Topics:
District of Korçë - Albania - Serbia and Montenegro - Greece - Albanian - Turkish - Romany

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Along with Bulgarian, Macedonian is the only Slavic language not to generally use noun cases in quite the same respect as the others. Among the older generations using their own dialects, cases may still be heard: the vocative may still be used though does not form a part of the Pelagonija based standard language, however three different definite articles (-ot,-ta,-to,-te:-ov,-va,-vo,-ve;-on,-na,-no,-ne), are used (as suffixes). It should also be noted that only Macedonian contains the three definite articles pertaining to position of object, all other languages have the basic form. One unique characteristic of Macedonian speech is the permanent short stress falling on the syllable third from last, and gradually moving along each time the word lengthens.

Related Topics:
Bulgarian - Slavic language - Vocative

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Example:

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ZAmina (vozot) - The train departed;

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zaMINuvaj - Go from here! (imperetive);

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zamiNUVanje - Departure ;

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ZaminuVANjeto - The departure. Even so, this tends not to be the case when the word has entered the language more recently and from a foreign source (chiefly English). Mened?ment (Management) is pronounced Me-nej-MENT.

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A modified Cyrillic script, Macedonian Cyrillic with 31 letters, is used for writing.

Related Topics:
Cyrillic - Macedonian Cyrillic

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Cyrillic, with Glagolitic, was an old Slavic script, used for the original Old Slavonic language. Only Cyrillic is used today, probably because the letters are simpler and more easily learnt when scholars like Saint Cyril introduced Christian writings to the Slavic people.

Related Topics:
Glagolitic - Old Slavonic language - Saint Cyril - Christian

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Macedonian lnaguage is taught as a subject in several of the university centres of the world, and is currently taught in all universities of the former Yugoslavia.

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