Serbian is a South Slavic language with over 10 million speakers, mostly in the Balkans, and is the most widely spoken language within this branch of Slavic languages, followed by Bulgarian.
Additional 10 million or so people, divided into several ethnic communities across former Yugoslavia, understand Serbian at the level of a mother tongue (have a native-language competence). However, due to various political, cultural, historical and religious differences, they prefer to develop their own linguistic expression and/or use a different name for the language.
Serbian is the de facto language of ethnic Serbs. There are, of course, those who belong to other ethnic communities, but nevertheless accept the Serbian language and its standard form as their first language both privately as well as in public discourse.
Serbian has official status in Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the majority language in Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Montenegro. Interestingly, although over half of the Montenegrin nationals report Serbian as their first language, Serbian is not official in Montenegro, but is instead only one of the languages “in official use,” according to the country’s constitution.
Serbian has a minority language status in Croatia and Macedonia. In Slovenia, however, it is not granted any official status and protection, although it is the second most spoken language in this former Yugoslav republic. As a minority language, Serbian is recognized in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
Serbian is also spoken in Diaspora, mostly in Western Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. The precise number of speakers is difficult to determine since a significant number of recent emigration from former Yugoslavia report Serbo-Croatian as their first or home language.
Additional 10 million or so people, divided into several ethnic communities across former Yugoslavia, understand Serbian at the level of a mother tongue (have a native-language competence). However, due to various political, cultural, historical and religious differences, they prefer to develop their own linguistic expression and/or use a different name for the language.
Serbian is the de facto language of ethnic Serbs. There are, of course, those who belong to other ethnic communities, but nevertheless accept the Serbian language and its standard form as their first language both privately as well as in public discourse.
Serbian has official status in Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the majority language in Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Montenegro. Interestingly, although over half of the Montenegrin nationals report Serbian as their first language, Serbian is not official in Montenegro, but is instead only one of the languages “in official use,” according to the country’s constitution.
Serbian has a minority language status in Croatia and Macedonia. In Slovenia, however, it is not granted any official status and protection, although it is the second most spoken language in this former Yugoslav republic. As a minority language, Serbian is recognized in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
Serbian is also spoken in Diaspora, mostly in Western Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. The precise number of speakers is difficult to determine since a significant number of recent emigration from former Yugoslavia report Serbo-Croatian as their first or home language.
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