Kajkavian

Kajkavian is a special way of speaking used mainly by people in Croatia, especially in areas like Central Croatia and Gorski Kotar. It belongs to a group of South Slavic languages and dialects, linking together several different ways of speaking.

Some people think Kajkavian is just a dialect of the Serbo-Croatian language, while others believe it stands on its own as a full language. This is because it does not always sound the same as other nearby dialects like Čakavian or Štokavian, but it shares many sounds and words with Prekmurje Slovene and some parts of Slovenia.

Besides Croatia, you can also hear Kajkavian in places such as Austrian Burgenland, parts of Hungary, and some small areas in Romania. It is a unique part of the rich language history in this part of Europe.

Name

The name "Kajkavian" comes from the word "kaj," which means "what" in this dialect. Just like other similar dialects, its name comes from the most common word people use for asking questions. Some Kajkavian speakers might use "ča," and some other dialects, like the one in Istria, might use "kaj" too. These names are just general guides, not strict rules.

Historically, people called their language different names. They used words like Slavic, Croatian, or even Illyrian. Over time, the name Croatian became more common, especially from the 1600s onward. The actual term "Kajkavian" was created in the 1800s by a scholar named Đuro Daničić and later popularized by a writer named Miroslav Krleža. Today, people in Croatia commonly use this name for their dialect. In English, you might also see it spelled as Kaykavian, Kaikavian, or Caicavian.

Classification

The classification of Kajkavian has been debated for a long time. Some believe it is a dialect, while others think it is its own language. This is because Kajkavian shares features with nearby languages like Čakavian, Štokavian, and Slovene.

Experts have different views. Some say Kajkavian is closely related to Croatian, while others see it as distinct due to its unique vocabulary and pronunciation. Over time, Kajkavian has changed and adapted, influencing how people view its place among other South Slavic languages.

Characteristics

Kajkavian is a type of speech mainly used by people in Central Croatia and Gorski Kotar. It is close to the Slovene language and shares features with it. People sometimes debate whether Kajkavian is a dialect of Serbo-Croatian or its own language, as it is only partly understood by speakers of related dialects like Čakavian or Štokavian.

The capital city, Zagreb, has historically been a place where Kajkavian is spoken, though today it is influenced by Štokavian. This mixing has made it tricky to define the exact nature of the speech in urban areas. Some features of Kajkavian have also entered standard Croatian. Kajkavian has many unique traits compared to Štokavian, such as different word stresses, vowel sounds, and vocabulary. It also shares some characteristics with Slovene, making it a fascinating part of the South Slavic language family.

Phonology

Kajkavian has a set of sounds, including 7 vowels and 23 consonants, that can change slightly depending on the region.

Some sounds change at the end of words. For example, words like grob (grave), poleg (next to, alongside), and njegov (his) can sound different at the end, becoming grop, polek, and njegof.

History of research

People started studying Kajkavian in the 1800s. At that time, many were trying to understand how different groups of people were related. Some experts thought Kajkavian speakers were closely connected to Slovenes, while others saw them as part of the Croatian group.

The first detailed book about Kajkavian was written in 1905. Since then, many experts have tried to sort Kajkavian into smaller groups. One expert suggested three groups, while others proposed up to fifteen different types. These groups are based on how sounds and words change in different areas.

Area of use

Kajkavian is mainly spoken in northern and northwestern parts of Croatia. Some towns where Kajkavian is spoken include Pitomača, Čazma, Kutina, Popovača, Sunja, Petrinja, and Martinska Ves. Big cities like Zagreb, Koprivnica, and Varaždin are also in areas where Kajkavian was traditionally spoken.

One special type of Kajkavian is called Bednjounski and is spoken in Bednja in northern Croatia.

Literary Kajkavian

Writings that are considered to be in Kajkavian date back to around the 12th century. The first big works in Kajkavian began in the 16th century when Central Croatia became important because it was safe from Ottoman rule. The most famous work from this time was Decretum by Ivanuš Pergošić, a translation of István Werbőczy's Tripartitum.

Many writers from the Slovene lands also used Kajkavian to reach more people. Over time, many important books were written in Kajkavian, including chronicles, religious writings, poetry, and plays. Famous writers like Ana Katarina Zrinska and Fran Krsto Frankopan used Kajkavian in their work. There were also big dictionaries and grammar books written in Kajkavian.

In the 19th century, Kajkavian lost some of its importance when leaders chose the Štokavian dialect to be the basis for the standard South Slavic language. Still, Kajkavian remained an important part of Croatian literature. In the 20th century, many well-known writers used Kajkavian in their poems and stories.

Today, the Kajkavian language continues to be studied and enjoyed, with new translations and dictionaries being published.

Vocabulary comparison table

Kajkavian has similar words and sounds to both Slovene and Croatian Štokavian. Below is a list showing some words in Kajkavian, Prekmurje Slovene, Standard Slovene, and Standard Croatian (Štokavian), with their English meanings. The Kajkavian and Prekmurje Slovene words come from different places.

Kajkavian media

During the time of Yugoslavia in the 20th century, Kajkavian was mostly used in private talks, poems, and stories about tradition. But since the 1990s, when people started to share more about their cultures, Kajkavian began to appear more in public places, especially in Zagorje and Varaždin Counties and nearby towns. Now, there are some media places where you can hear or read Kajkavian, such as:

• A special magazine called "Kaj", which has been published since 1967 by the Kajkavian Association in Zagreb.
• A special week of Kajkavian culture in Krapina that happens every fall, with talks and five books written about it.
• A yearly magazine named Hrvatski sjever ('Croatian North'), with some parts in Kajkavian, published by Matica Hrvatska in Čakovec.
• A radio show called Kajkavian Radio in Krapina that plays all the time. There are also smaller shows and newspapers in places like Varaždin, Zagreb, Čakovec, and Samobor that sometimes use Kajkavian.