Mr. Ilya Zlatanov
Sofia
https://doi.org/10.53656/for22.541sbli
Absract. The article examines the interaction of the Balkan peoples in the composition of multinational empires. Widespread multilingualism and frequent
switching from one language to another eventually led to the formation of the
Balkan Linguistic Union. With the rise of national consciousness in the 19th
century and the change of political configuration, the process of convergence of the Balkan languages
was interrupted. Moreover, individual regional dialects of some languages, once united by a common name, took on a life of their own. But there is also a reverse process, languages artificially separated for political reasons are
regaining their former integrity.
Keywords: Balkan Linguistic Union; convergence and divergence; politics; history
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