This 10 session course provides an introduction to the language of Montenegro. A broad range of topics is covered during this course starting out with basic greetings and answers to questions and then progressing to full sentence structures based on previously learned vocabulary later in the course.
Montenegrin is a South Slavic language, closely related to Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian. Historically, these languages were collectively referred to as Serbo-Croatian, a designation that covered the similar dialects spoken across much of the former Yugoslavia. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and Montenegro's independence in 2006, Montenegrin was officially recognized as a distinct language.
The language's origins are deeply rooted in the medieval era, with Old Church Slavonic serving as a foundational influence on Montenegrin and other South Slavic languages. Over time, regional dialects and external influences from neighboring countries shaped the modern form of Montenegrin, differentiating it from Serbian and Croatian in pronunciation, vocabulary, and certain grammatical structures. While Montenegrin shares much of its grammar and vocabulary with Serbian, it includes specific phonetic features, such as the distinct pronunciation of the letters 'ś' and 'ź,' which are not present in other variants.
Montenegrin is predominantly spoken in Montenegro, a small but culturally rich country in southeastern Europe, with around 250,000 native speakers. It is the official language of Montenegro, though Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Albanian are also widely spoken due to the country's diverse population. Montenegrin is written in both the Latin and Cyrillic scripts, reflecting its historical ties to both Eastern Orthodox and Western Christian cultural spheres.
Montenegrin is employed in all areas of public life in Montenegro, including education, media, and government. The language plays a crucial role in the country's national identity.
