Original scientific paper
Development of the Croatian Ethnonym in the North Croatian Regions in the Early Modern Era
Zoran Velagić
; Bjelovar, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of the paper is to examine the use of names that Croatian authors in the Early Modern era applied to their people, language and alphabet, primarily the Croatian and Slovin (Slavonian) names, but also the Illyrian, Dalmatian and Bosnian names. With this aim in mind, mostly written works from this period are analysed, since only in these could the authors communicate their own views to the broader populace. The paper examines the North Croatian regions. However, due to the fact that development in these areas was necessarily conditioned by the opinions and ideas of precedents, the Glagolitic tradition, Croatian Protestants, the "Ozalj circle", and exceptional individuals such as Juraj Križanić and Franjo Glavinić, are also discussed. Among the authors from North Croatia, particular attention is given to Juraj Mulih and Matija A. Reljković. For the most part, names used to indicate the people and their language are reviewed. Nevertheless, some other ideas of the authors concerned are also presented, for example their views on ethnogenesis, correct orthography, preferable unity in the writing system, on the origin of the Glagolitic script, etc. The paper also investigates the historical atmosphere in which ideas on Slavism or Illyrism appeared, as well as the historical conditions that affected the use of different names, or else changes in their use (as in the case of the migration of the Croatian ethnonym from the South to the North). The paper concludes by confirming that in the Early Modern era there already existed an awareness of the oneness of the Croatian people and language, although this was not always expressed explicitly through the use of the Croatian ethnonym. Likewise, this awareness was not extended to all levels of the people, just as one cannot speak of fixed standards for the Croatian language at that time. Both these aspects were at the time still quite foggy and dependent mostly on individual authors.
Keywords
Croatian ethnonym; Croats; Early Modern era; North Croatian regions; Glagolitic tradition; language
Hrčak ID:
126621
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1997.
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