Croatology, Vol. 3 No. 2, 2012.
Original scientific paper
Horvaczko evangyelye (1732) as a model for the standard literary language of Burgenland Croatia
Alojz Jembrih
; Centre for Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The first Croatian books to be printed in the western part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 17th century were the Mekinić hymnals Duševne pesne … in 1609 and 1611. These were followed in the 18th century by the first Croatian book printed in 1732 in Győr – the Horvaczko evangyelye. As the Evangyelye follows on from the Kajkavian Szveti evangeliumi (Trnava 1694) in terms of both content and language, this paper demonstrates the mutual dependence of the two works with regard to lexis, syntax and content. It is obvious that those who prepared the Horvaczko evangyelye had in mind the Croatian audience and readers in this particular area of the Croatian diaspora – the western part of the Kingdom of Hungary – in the 18th century. This served to reinforce the standard literary language, while at the same time a multitude of Kajkavian features were retained which are still present in the language Burgenland Croats use today. The creation of the standard language was brought about by liturgical texts such as Evangeliums. This should be considered by Croatian philologists, i.e. language and literature experts, when studying the history of the Croatian standard language.
Keywords
the Bible; evangelism; Croatian language; liturgy; standard language; Burgenland Croats
Hrčak ID:
107023
URI
Publication date:
19.7.2013.
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