Filologija, No. 84, 2025.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.21857/mjrl3urj49
In the Service of Science or the Politics of Linguistic Overreach: The Case of the Slovenian Linguistic Atlas
Igor Ivašković
Sažetak
In the past fifteen years, as part of the development of the Slovenian Linguistic Atlas (SLA), an increasing number of speech varieties from the Republic of Croatia have been classified as part of the Slovenian language, which has attracted the attention and reactions of some Croatian linguists. This paper therefore analyzes the methodological assumptions underlying the work on the SLA project to uncover the reasons for differences in the understanding and naming of the examined speech varieties. It was found that in the work on the SLA project, the term “Slovenian language” is used as a genetic-linguistic category, while the term “Croatian language” is regarded merely as an ethnic label for a portion of the “Central South Slavic linguistic diasystem.” An analysis of the conceptual framework and criteria on which the recent edition of the SLA is based revealed that the project attempted to introduce terminology from other scientific disciplines into genetic linguistics, while disregarding the fundamental definitions of these terms. In the SLA project, the examined speech varieties were analyzed using genetic-linguistic criteria, but they were subsequently classified with sociological or national labels that unsuccessfully sought to alter their meaning. The mixing of terminology, where a given word has one meaning in one branch of linguistics and a completely different meaning in another, is scientifically unfounded and often leads to misinterpretations of results. If we wish to label certain speech varieties with adjectives that carry strong sociolinguistic or national connotations, then the analysis of these varieties must follow sociolinguistic criteria. Otherwise, if we aim to classify speech varieties solely based on genetic-linguistic criteria, then new terminology should be developed within the field of genetic linguistics that has not been previously marked by entirely different meanings in other scientific disciplines. In addition, this article highlights other possibilities for arbitrary manipulation of results, which should be avoided in future genetic-linguistic studies.
Ključne riječi
language, speech, dialectology, identity, Croatian, Slovenian
Hrčak ID:
339785
URI
Datum izdavanja:
24.11.2025.
Posjeta: 334 *