THE CROATIAN LANGUAGE
Adam S. Eterovich
In
1555 the first three English books about America were published, Arber, Edward
(1511-1555) . The books included the writings of Sebastian Cabot, Pietro
Matire, Sebastian Munster and others. An inquiry was made of the Austrian and
Spanish Crowns about Moscow in Russia, John Faber Wrote:
Page
290
"Theyr
language agreeth much with the toonge of the Bohemians, CROATIANS, and
SCLAVONS: so that the Sclavon dooth playnly understande the Moscovite, although
the Moscovian toonge be a more rude and harde phrase of speach. The
historiographers wryte that the Sclavons toonge the name of the confusion
whiche was in Babell in the tyme of that stowt hunter Nemroth of whome mention
is made in the Genesis. But I cannot enowgh marveyle at this thing, that
betwene DALMATIA (now cauled Sclavonia) and Moscovia, both the Pannonies are
situate, yet this notwithstandynge, the Hungarians toonge nothynge agreeth with
the Moscovites. Wherby wee may conjecture that these nations were sumtymes
divided by legions, and that they came owt of DALMATIA thyther ' whiche thynge
also Volateranus affirmeth, sayinge that the language of the Ruthenians (whiche
are the Moscovites) is Semi-dalmatica (that is) halfe Sclavone. Howe so ever it
bee, this is certyne that the Bohemians, CROATIANS, SCLAVONS, and Moscovites,
agree in language as wee perceaved by the interpretours which yowre MAJESTIE
had then in yowre courte. For whereas the sayde interpretours were borne amonge
the CROATIANS and SCLAVONS and none of them had ever byn in Moscovia, or
beefore that tyme had any conversation with them, yet dyd they well understande
the ambassadours woordes."
Page
315
"Besyde
the bookes that they have of the ancient Greeke doctours, they have also the
commentaries and homelies of saynt Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Gregorie,
translated into the ILLIRIAN or SLAVON tounge which agreeth with theyrs. For
they use bothe the SLAVON tounge and letters, as do also the SCLAVONS,
DALMATES, Bohemes, Pollones, and Lithuanes. This tounge is spredde further then
any other at this day For it is familyar at Constantinople in the courte of the
Emperours o4 the Turkes: and was of late harde in Egypte
amonge
the Mamalukes in the courte of the Soltane of Alcayre otherwyse cauled Memphis
or Babilon in Egipte. "
Marco
Pigafeta in his Itinerario published in London in 1585 states: "In
Istanbul it is customary to speak Croatian, a language which is understood by
almost all official Turks, especially military men."
Francis
Eterovich in his book Croatia, Land, People, Culture, 1970, Toronto University
Press states:
"During
that century Croatian was the second language in the Porte, and all principal
military experts spoke both Turkish and Croatian."
Vatro
Murvar in his study of Muslims in Bosnia-Hercegovina comments:
In
1531, Ferdinand's ambassador to negotiate a permanent peace treaty was the
Croat military defense hero Nikola Jurisich from Sen], who was royally received
in Istanbul where the brave man were cordially welcomed His large staff,
including Benedict Curipetschitz, a famous Slovenian writer who carefully
described this trip, was instructed to speak and record for security reasons
only In German. Refusing it, Ibrahim-pasa insisted that all the negotiations be
conducted In the Croatian language. Sabanovich quotes Truhelka that since the
fifteenth century Croatian was the diplomatic language at the Sublime
Porte. Consequently, Nikola Jurisich
delivered his long presentation to the great vizier lbrahim Pasa in their own
common mother tongue. Eight days later, Jurisich repeated his speech to sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent again in the Croatian language which Suleiman not only
understood but used in his conversations with Jurisich.
Antun
Vrancich, Roman cardinal, and Franjo Zay. a diplomat. traveled to Istanbul as
envoys of the Croat-Hungarlan king to discuss a peace treaty. On August 27,
1553, they met the great vizier Rustem-pasa Hrvat with an official Interpretor.
During the initial ceremonial greetings, perhaps too elaborately long,
Rustem-pasa impatiently interrupted the conversation between the nterpretor and
Vrancich and turned directly to Zay, inquiring in Croatian if he and Vrancich
spoke the Croatian language? The interpretor was then dismissed and they
proceeded In the Croatian language during the entire process of the
negotiations for peace.
S.
Basagic in his book Prominent Croatians, Bosnians and Hercegovinians in the
Turkish Empire, 1931, Sarajevo, lists 20 Croatian Grand Viziers of the Turkish
Empire and many military and naval commanders.
During
the age of discovery it was common knowledge or became so to travel East or
West. Western Europeans going East knew they must pass thru Slavic lands. As
documented above, Croatian and Dalmatian-Croatian was the language utilized.
Most voyages of discovery would carry interpreters. Were Croatians used in
Spain, England and France?