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The Czech Languages

The Czech Languages. Laura A. Janda UNC-CH. Pre-History. Original inhabitants were Celts Slavs arrived in 6 th century Legends of matriarchal rule, prophesy of Libuše, and “Girls’ War” in 7 th century Creation of Greater Moravia in early 9 th century. Christianization of the Slavs.

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The Czech Languages

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  1. The Czech Languages Laura A. Janda UNC-CH

  2. Pre-History • Original inhabitants were Celts • Slavs arrived in 6th century • Legends of matriarchal rule, prophesy of Libuše, and “Girls’ War” in 7th century • Creation of Greater Moravia in early 9th century

  3. Christianization of the Slavs • SS. Cyril and Methodius travel to Moravia in 863, invited by Prince Rostislav, first development of written language for Slavs • 880 S. Ludmila is baptized by Methodius; Svatopluk blinds Rostislav, drives Methodius out, makes deal with Franks • 924-935 Prince Václav (“Good King Wenceslaus”) reigns briefly and is murdered like his grandmother Ludmila

  4. Christianization of the Slavs

  5. Charles IV 1346-1378, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emporer • 1348 founding of Charles U. in Prague, oldest university north of the Alps • Founding of New Town, construction of St.Vitus’ Cathedral, Charles Bridge, many monasteries and castles, golden age of Bohemian art • First complete translation of the Bible into Czech

  6. Charles IV 1346-1378, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emporer

  7. Reformation and Early Habsburg Rule • 1415 Jan Hus, preacher and inventor of diacritics burned at the stake • 1419-1434 the Hussite wars • 1526, Ferdinand I, a Habsburg, becomes King of Bohemia, and ultimately Austria and Hungary as well, ushering in 400 years of Habsburg rule in Bohemia • 1579-1594 translation of Kralice Bible and golden age of Czech literature

  8. Decline and Renewal • 1618 Habsburg repressions incite Prague defenestration, initiating 30 Year War • 1620 Defeat at White Mountain • Two centuries of decline and oppression • 1809 Josef Dobrovský’s Czech grammar • Remainder of 19th century: Czech National Revival

  9. The Twentieth Century • 1918 Dr. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk becomes president of the “First Republic” • 1938 Munich agreement signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain, Daladier • 1948 Communist party comes to power • 1968 Prague Spring and August invasion • 1989 Velvet Revolution • 1993 Velvet Divorce

  10. Diglossia: • When a population uses one language for high-brow purposes, such as written documents, but another language for all other purposes

  11. King James > Scots English • Phonology (sounds) • Loss of final consonants • and > an; of > o; have > hae; with > wi • Diphthongization • to > tae; parts > pairts; dogs > dowgs; eating >aitin • Morphology (forms of words) • Verb endings • saying > sayin; the dogs get > the dowgs gets

  12. King James > Scots English • Syntax (how words are combined) • Be it unto thee even as thou wilt > ye will een hae your will • Her daughter was made whole > her dachter cowred her ill • Lexicon (words) • Children’s > bairns’ • Table > buird

  13. Literary Czech > Spoken Czech • Phonology • é>í; ý>ej; o- > vo- • Morphology • Endings are different for nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, numerals, conjugated verb forms • Gerunds and participles are absent in the spoken language

  14. Literary Czech > Spoken Czech • Syntax • Relative clauses are formed differently • Pronouns and cases are used differently • Lexicon • Hundreds of common words are different, such as the words for ‘father’, ‘house’, ‘money’, ‘mouth’, ‘few’, ‘much, many’

  15. A true story… • Já mluvím úplně spisovně. Ty to ale slyšíš nespisovnejma ušima. • “I speak in a completely literary fashion. You, however, hear it with unliterary ears. • The literary Czech version would be nespisovnýma

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