Slovak is one of many Indo-European languages; more specifically, it developed out of proto-Slavic and is categorized as a West Slavic language like Czech, Polish, Silesian, Kashubian, and Sorbian. It is closely related to Czech, and speakers of both languages can generally understand each other. Polish and Lower/Upper Sorbian (languages of eastern Germany) are also related to Slovak. The language has an Eastern, a Western, a Central, and a Lowland Dialect. There are few examples of Slovak written language before the 17th and 18th centuries. It was not considered a literary language until the early 19th century. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Slovak has been more conservative phonetically… Slovak has retained long syllabic l and r and a series of diphthongs”.
The relationship between the Czech and Slovak languages exemplifies their close cultural and historical roots but each country’s desire to establish their own identity. Though these countries may have many similarities, current-day Czech and Slovaks do not want to continually share their national or cultural identities. In regard to the status as a literary language, the Slovak languages short history as a literary language creates a challenge for tracking the linguistic origins and changes experienced during centuries pre-dating the 19th century. However, one of the benefits in the similarities in Czech and Slovak is that the Czech language can offer some insight into the development of Slovak.
https://academic-eb-com.newman.richmond.edu/levels/collegiate/article/Slovak-language/68226
https://effectivelanguagelearning.com/language-guide/slovak-language/
Comments