Kapović: Fake anti-nationalists oppose Montenegrin orthography and push Greater Serbian policy

(Patria) - The news that the management of RTCG has banned a journalist from using the jotated forms of the Montenegrin language in the program has alarmed the public. While the discriminatory decision of the Public Service was promptly condemned and called to account by Montenegrin PEN, FCJK, CDNK, CHO, and some pro-Montenegrin parties, the authorities remained silent. Despite numerous public calls and accusations, neither the leadership of RTCG nor anyone else has commented to explain the scandalous decision or deny it.

For Portal Analitika, in this regard, one of the most prominent opponents of nationalism in language in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, Croatian linguist Mate Kapović, who advocates for the position of Shtokavian monolingualism, assesses that it is clear that this case is a politically motivated act.

"It is shameful that such language bans are happening in the 21st century, but it is clearly the linguistic equivalent of what has otherwise been happening in the political and social life of Montenegro in recent years," Kapović believes.

Montenegrins should choose for themselves how they will speak and write

The interlocutor of Analitika states that, first and foremost, Montenegrins – and then certain journalists on state television, as well as everyone else – have the right to choose for themselves how they will speak and write.

"Regardless of what opinion one has about Shtokavian standard varieties, it is undeniable that no one can dictate to Podgorica and Cetinje from Belgrade or Zagreb (in practice, it is Belgrade, clearly) how they should speak and write their language," Kapović is categorical.

As he says, it is not known outside of Montenegro, but it is known in Montenegro that in spontaneous speech, people exclusively use "đe, đeca, śedimo, iźelica" and the like.

"Whether Montenegrins will also write that way – as is now possible – or not, but will write 'gdje, djeca, sjedimo, izjelica', as is the case in Croatian and Bosnian orthography, is for the Montenegrins themselves to decide and no one else. Such a decision will come through usage, and it is very bad to resort to bans from one side, especially since Montenegrin orthography allows for both jotated and non-jotated variants, as well as exceptions. For example, in bookish words like 'djelo', where there is no variant 'đelo', which is not really used, it is clear that this is not about exaggeration but about real pronunciation. And nothing is imposed on anyone, but the choice is left to individuals," Kapović explains.

In this whole story, as he says, it is perverse that some individuals and "experts" oppose the "new" orthography (although pronunciation like "đevojka" is nothing new or unusual in Montenegro, but the most common and only pronunciation unless one is "acting refined") for supposedly anti-nationalist and "expert" reasons.

"That is completely misguided. Montenegrins have an absolute right – if they wish – to write as they speak, and the introduction of real pronunciation into writing cannot be equated with, for example, some exaggerations and inventions, such as insisting on purism or the persecution of certain Srbisms and 'Srbisms' like the words 'tokom' or 'glasati' and the like, which occurred in Croatia to distinguish Croatian from Serbian. This does not mean that in Croatian, in all cases, it is necessarily about that – for example, the jekavized writing of 'brjegovi' alongside the older 'bregovi' in Croatian after 1990 has a basis in real pronunciation," the interlocutor of Analitika points out.

Pushing pure nationalism

According to him, in the Montenegrin case, it is actually about certain "experts" pretending to be anti-nationalists by opposing the special Montenegrin orthography, which corresponds to the real Montenegrin pronunciation, and are actually pushing nationalist, specifically Greater Serbian – policy.

"Pure nationalism is actually being pushed here under the guise of anti-nationalism and expertise. Such a ban on writing jotated forms on the state radio and television is just another form of this. It should be said that not all nationalism is the same. Nationalism that forcibly imposes something foreign on another is one thing, and nationalism that fights for the right to use something that is natural to it (whether it is language, customs, or something else) is something else entirely," Kapović notes.

He also provided a parallel, explaining that it is not the same thing for a Turk not to allow a Kurd to speak Kurdish and for a Kurd to fight for the right to speak his own language.

"Moreover, the most ridiculous thesis is that Montenegrins will supposedly no longer understand other peoples who have Shtokavian standards. Such people clearly do not know that, for example, 'đe' is also used in Dubrovnik and Slavonski Brod, or that speakers in Croatia often jokingly say 'ćerati' instead of 'tjerati' and the like. Therefore, it is quite clear that we will continue to understand each other even if everyone in Montenegro starts writing 'đeca' in addition to the fact that everyone speaks that way spontaneously now," Kapović says.