Of course they're not. Neither are the others. They can appear intelligible, but in fact there's tons of false friends and other grammatical traps and tricks. To an extent, every IE language is intelligible with others.
Slavic languages
I have a Croatian friend who told me he can understand most Slavic languages, the general meaning of a sentence, at least.
They don't sound all the same. Neighboring languages usually sounds similar, but languages far away from each other are quite different.
<<Croatian/Slovene >>
I know for a fact that these are not.
That's a lie. Slovene people understand Croatian,
and kajkavian (Northwestern Croatia) and cakavian (Western croatia) speakers understand Slovene with ease: kaj si delal?
I know for a fact that these are not.
That's a lie. Slovene people understand Croatian,
and kajkavian (Northwestern Croatia) and cakavian (Western croatia) speakers understand Slovene with ease: kaj si delal?
For a non Slavonic speaker, Slavic languages tend to sound the same. This kind of trivial issues posted here always lead to subjective comments. It depends of where do you come from and how much exposure you have of the languages mentioned in the topic.
However, because I traveled to many Central/Eastern European countries (except Russia/Ukraine), I can distinguish a bit of them.
Bulgarian sounds a bit different. The voices of Bulgarians (they have usually good voices for singing) remind me more of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern languages. Bulgarian is a Slavonic language but with many Balkanic/Mediterranean influences.
I can distinguish the sounds between Russian and Polish, but not always. Russian sounds a bit squeezed, while Polish sounds more open.
Czech may sound like Swedish, although it's not a Germanic language.
However, because I traveled to many Central/Eastern European countries (except Russia/Ukraine), I can distinguish a bit of them.
Bulgarian sounds a bit different. The voices of Bulgarians (they have usually good voices for singing) remind me more of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern languages. Bulgarian is a Slavonic language but with many Balkanic/Mediterranean influences.
I can distinguish the sounds between Russian and Polish, but not always. Russian sounds a bit squeezed, while Polish sounds more open.
Czech may sound like Swedish, although it's not a Germanic language.
By the way, is there really any difference between Serbian and Croatian? I've read that it's the same language but written with Latin alphabet in Croatia and with Cyrillic in Serbia.
I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol)
I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol)
<<This kind of trivial issues posted here always lead to subjective comments. >>
"Joao"--so that's what you're posting under now...
Ok, Joao,
First, you slam us for making trivial and subjective comments, then here:
<<Bulgarian sounds a bit different. The voices of Bulgarians (they have usually good voices for singing) remind me more of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern languages. Bulgarian is a Slavonic language but with many Balkanic/Mediterranean influences.
I can distinguish the sounds between Russian and Polish, but not always. Russian sounds a bit squeezed, while Polish sounds more open.
Czech may sound like Swedish, although it's not a Germanic language. >>
you go and do just the same; nay, you do even better than we!
<<I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol) >>
Count on it! ;)
"Joao"--so that's what you're posting under now...
Ok, Joao,
First, you slam us for making trivial and subjective comments, then here:
<<Bulgarian sounds a bit different. The voices of Bulgarians (they have usually good voices for singing) remind me more of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern languages. Bulgarian is a Slavonic language but with many Balkanic/Mediterranean influences.
I can distinguish the sounds between Russian and Polish, but not always. Russian sounds a bit squeezed, while Polish sounds more open.
Czech may sound like Swedish, although it's not a Germanic language. >>
you go and do just the same; nay, you do even better than we!
<<I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol) >>
Count on it! ;)
"For a non Slavonic speaker, Slavic languages tend to sound the same. This kind of trivial issues posted here always lead to subjective comments. It depends of where do you come from and how much exposure you have of the languages mentioned in the topic.
However, because I traveled to many Central/Eastern European countries (except Russia/Ukraine), I can distinguish a bit of them."
I do not mean to offend anyone. I mean, trivial issues because they look like the other posts such as "Does Portuguese sounds like Russian?"
Yes I also do the same. I was talking about my very superficial perception of those languages, because this kind of comments is for those who have a limited exposure of a language.
I am aware that real interest on a language is a lot more than that. It concerns learning the vocabulary and grammar.
"I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol)"
This is regarding the abrasive relationship Serbians and Croats have had in the last times. A consequence of that is the fact that some claim Serbo-Croatian is one language while the others claim it's two different languages.
Any remark, abrasive or not about this?
PS: By the way, I only post comments under my real name, Joao.
However, because I traveled to many Central/Eastern European countries (except Russia/Ukraine), I can distinguish a bit of them."
I do not mean to offend anyone. I mean, trivial issues because they look like the other posts such as "Does Portuguese sounds like Russian?"
Yes I also do the same. I was talking about my very superficial perception of those languages, because this kind of comments is for those who have a limited exposure of a language.
I am aware that real interest on a language is a lot more than that. It concerns learning the vocabulary and grammar.
"I expect a torrent of insults and fights in the following replies. Go ahead! (lol)"
This is regarding the abrasive relationship Serbians and Croats have had in the last times. A consequence of that is the fact that some claim Serbo-Croatian is one language while the others claim it's two different languages.
Any remark, abrasive or not about this?
PS: By the way, I only post comments under my real name, Joao.
Basically Serbo-Croatian is the old name for the language nowadays called BCS. Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are the main dialects of this language. Certainly there are some differences between them, mainly in vocabulary and phonetics, but grammar, syntax, etc. are practically the same.
Lately, we've been witnessing a birth of a new language - Montenegrin - immediately after the foundation of a separate state of Montenegro. This clearly shows that the existence of those languages as separate entities is strictly political. So now I call this language BCMS.
I'm writing this for Joao, because I'm certain he's not a troll, unlike some other ppl here. You can also search this site for 'serbo-croatian', Joao.
Lately, we've been witnessing a birth of a new language - Montenegrin - immediately after the foundation of a separate state of Montenegro. This clearly shows that the existence of those languages as separate entities is strictly political. So now I call this language BCMS.
I'm writing this for Joao, because I'm certain he's not a troll, unlike some other ppl here. You can also search this site for 'serbo-croatian', Joao.
Thanks.
So, As far as I know, Croatian and Serbian are dialects of BCS, or BCMS. Just like Macedonian is a dialect of the Macedonian-Bulgarian language.
It's very interesting that BCMS is separated by different alphabets. By the way, which alphabet do the Bosnian Muslims use? The Arabic one? If that was the case it would probably be the only case of a Slavonic language written in Arabic.
So, As far as I know, Croatian and Serbian are dialects of BCS, or BCMS. Just like Macedonian is a dialect of the Macedonian-Bulgarian language.
It's very interesting that BCMS is separated by different alphabets. By the way, which alphabet do the Bosnian Muslims use? The Arabic one? If that was the case it would probably be the only case of a Slavonic language written in Arabic.
Considering that many people do think that Portuguese, Romanian, Lithuanian and Latvian sound 'Slavic', it's fairly obvious that Slavic languages are not terribly unique-sounding: it's a somewhat generic sound. Old Spanish, may I remind you, sounded a lot closer to modern Portuguese, but has lost its 'sh' and 'zh' sounds over the last few centuries. So the "Slavic sound", I'd speculate, is a somewhat generic old European sound.
And no, Slavic languages are NOT mutually understandable, no more so than English and Dutch. Russian and Ukrainian are not mutually understandable for someone who has not been exposed to both languages.
And no, Slavic languages are NOT mutually understandable, no more so than English and Dutch. Russian and Ukrainian are not mutually understandable for someone who has not been exposed to both languages.
By the way, is there really any difference between Serbian and Croatian?
By the way, is there really any difference between Portuguese and Gallego?
By the way, is there really any difference between Portuguese and Gallego?
Serbian: Portugalija [por'tugalia]
Croatian: Portugal ['portugal]
Serbian: Brazilijanac, Brazilijanka
Croatian: Braziliac, Brazilka
Serbijan: Spanija
Croatian: Spanjolska
Serbian: Kipar
Croatian: Cipar
Serbian: Atina
Croatian: Atena
Serbian: Jermenija
Croatian: Armenija
Serbian: slovenacki (Slovenian), slovenski (Slavic)
Croatian: slovenski (Slovenian), slavenski (Slavic)
Croatian: Portugal ['portugal]
Serbian: Brazilijanac, Brazilijanka
Croatian: Braziliac, Brazilka
Serbijan: Spanija
Croatian: Spanjolska
Serbian: Kipar
Croatian: Cipar
Serbian: Atina
Croatian: Atena
Serbian: Jermenija
Croatian: Armenija
Serbian: slovenacki (Slovenian), slovenski (Slavic)
Croatian: slovenski (Slovenian), slavenski (Slavic)