The Czech Languages

Laura A. Janda

UNC-CH

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

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

Christianization of the Slavs

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

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

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

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

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

Diglossia:

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

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

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

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

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’

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