Editing Slovene language (section)

== History ==

===Early history===
[[File:Brižinski spomeniki 3.png|thumb|left|The ''[[Freising manuscripts]]'', dating from the late 10th or the early 11th century, are considered the oldest documents in Slovene.]]

Like all [[Slavic languages]], Slovene traces its roots to the same proto-Slavic group of languages that produced [[Old Church Slavonic]]. The earliest known examples of a distinct, written dialect connected to Slovene are from the ''[[Freising manuscripts]]'', known in Slovene as {{lang|sl|Brižinski spomeniki}}. The consensus estimate of their date of origin is between 972 and 1039 CE (most likely before 1000). These religious writings are among the oldest surviving manuscripts in any Slavic language.

The ''Freising manuscripts'' are a record of a proto-Slovene that was spoken in a more scattered territory than modern Slovene, which included most of the present-day Austrian states of [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]] and [[Styria]], as well as [[East Tyrol]], the [[Val Pusteria]] in [[South Tyrol]], and some areas of [[Upper Austria|Upper]] and [[Lower Austria]].<ref>Bogo Grafenauer, ''Karantanija: izbrane razprave in članki'' (Ljubljana: Slovenska matica, 2000)</ref>

Between the 9th and 12th century, proto-Slovene spread into northern [[Istria]] and in the areas around [[Trieste]]. By the 15th century, most of the northern areas were gradually [[Germanization|Germanized]]: The northern border of the Slovene-speaking territory stabilized on the line going from north of [[Klagenfurt]] to south of [[Villach]] and east of [[Hermagor-Pressegger See|Hermagor]] in Carinthia, while in Styria it was more or less identical with the current Austrian-Slovenian border.  This linguistic border remained almost unchanged until the late 19th century, when a second process of Germanization took place, mostly in Carinthia. 

During most of the Middle Ages, Slovene was a vernacular language of the peasantry, although it was also spoken in most of the towns on Slovenian territory, together with German or Italian. Although during this time German emerged as the spoken language of the nobility, Slovene had some role in the courtly life of the Carinthian, Carniolan, and Styrian nobility as well. This is proved by the survival of certain ritual formulas in Slovene (such as the ritual installation of the Dukes of Carinthia). The words {{lang|sl|Buge waz primi, gralva Venus!}} ('God be With You, Queen Venus!'), with which [[Bernhard von Spanheim]] greeted the poet [[Ulrich von Liechtenstein]], who was travelling around Europe in guise of Venus, upon his arrival in Carinthia in 1227 (or 1238),<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.ff.uni-lj.si/publikacije/jis/lat1/038/55c01.htm |title=Od koroskega gralva 1238 do rezijanskega krajaua 1986 |language=sl |first=Milko |last=Matičetov |year=1993 |issue=5 |journal=Jezik in slovstvo [Language and Literature] |publisher=Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107072740/http://www.ff.uni-lj.si/publikacije/jis/lat1/038/55c01.htm |archive-date=7 November 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> is another example of some level of Slovene knowledge among high nobility in the region.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.vlada.si/fileadmin/dokumenti/Slovenija_doc/O_slovenskem_jeziku_novo.pdf |chapter=Sounds and letters |title=On Slovene Language |author=Kalin Golob, Monika |author2=Komac, Nataša |author3=Logar, Nataša |editor=Žnidarko, Mito |publisher=European Parliament Information Office for Slovenia, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Government Office for European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia |year=2007 |isbn=978-92-823-2350-2 |page=33 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011115406/http://www.vlada.si/fileadmin/dokumenti/Slovenija_doc/O_slovenskem_jeziku_novo.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The first printed Slovene words, {{lang|sl|stara pravda}} (meaning 'old justice' or 'old laws'), appeared in 1515 in [[Vienna]] in a poem of the German mercenaries who suppressed the [[Slovene peasant revolt of 1515|Slovene peasant revolt]]: the term was presented as the peasants' motto and battle cry.<ref name="Cvirn2000">{{cite book |title=Ilustrirana zgodovina Slovencev |language=sl |trans-title=The Illustrated History of the Slovenes |chapter=Slovenski kmečki upor |trans-chapter=The Slovene Peasant Revolt |year=2000 |first=Peter |last=Štih |editor-first=Marko |editor-last=Vidic |publisher=Mladinska knjiga |isbn=86-11-15664-1 |page=142}}</ref> Standard Slovene emerged in the second half of the 16th century, thanks to the works of Slovene Lutheran authors, who were active during the [[Protestant Reformation]]. The most prominent authors from this period are [[Primož Trubar]], who wrote the first books in Slovene; [[Adam Bohorič]], the author of the first Slovene grammar; and [[Jurij Dalmatin]], who translated the entire [[Bible]] into Slovene.

From the high Middle Ages up to the dissolution of the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] in 1918, in the territory of present-day Slovenia, [[German language|German]] was the language of the elite, and Slovene was the language of the common people. During this period, German had a strong influence on Slovene; many [[Germanization|Germanisms]] are preserved in contemporary colloquial Slovene. Many Slovene [[scientist]]s before the 1920s also wrote in foreign languages, mostly German, which was the ''[[lingua franca]]'' of science throughout [[Central Europe]] at the time.

===Recent history===
During the rise of [[Romantic nationalism]] in the 19th century, the cultural movements of [[Illyrism]] and [[Pan-Slavism]] brought words from [[Serbo-Croatian]], specifically Croatian dialects, and [[Czech language|Czech]] into standard Slovene, mostly to replace words previously borrowed from German. Most of these innovations have remained, although some were dropped in later development. In the second half of the 19th century, many nationalist authors made an abundant use of Serbo-Croatian words: among them were [[Fran Levstik]] and [[Josip Jurčič]], who wrote the first novel in Slovene in 1866. This tendency was reversed in the [[Fin de siècle]] period by the first generation of modernist Slovene authors (most notably the writer [[Ivan Cankar]]), who resorted to a more "pure" and simple language without excessive Serbo-Croatian borrowings.

During the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] in the 1920s and 1930s, the influence of Serbo-Croatian increased again. This was opposed by the younger generations of Slovene authors and intellectuals; among the fiercest opponents of an excessive Serbo-Croatian influence on Slovene were the intellectuals associated with the leftist journal ''[[Sodobnost]]'', as well as some younger [[Catholicism|Catholic]] activists and authors. After 1945, numerous Serbo-Croatian words that had been used in the previous decades were dropped. The result was that a Slovene text from the 1910s is frequently closer to modern Slovene than a text from the 1920s and 1930s.

Between 1920 and 1941, the official language of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was defined as "Serbo-Croato-Slovene", which was in practice merely Serbo-Croatian. In Slovenia, however, Slovene remained in use in education and administration. Many state institutions used only Serbo-Croatian, and a Slovene–Serbo-Croatian bilingualism was applied in many spheres of public life in Slovenia. For example, at post offices, on railways, and in administrative offices, Serbo-Croatian was used alongside Slovene. However, state employees were expected to be able to speak Slovene in Slovenia.

During the same time, western Slovenia (the [[Slovenian Littoral]] and the western districts of [[Inner Carniola]]) was under Italian administration and subjected to a violent policy of [[Fascist Italianization]]; the same policy was applied to Slovene speakers in [[Venetian Slovenia]], [[Gorizia]], and [[Trieste]]. Between 1923 and 1943, all public use of Slovene in these territories was strictly prohibited, and Slovene-language activists were persecuted by the state.

After the [[Carinthian Plebiscite]] of 1920, a less severe policy of [[Germanization]] took place in the Slovene-speaking areas of southern [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]] which remained under Austrian administration. After the [[Anschluss]] of 1938, the use of Slovene was strictly forbidden in Carinthia as well. This accelerated a process of [[language shift]] in Carinthia, which continued throughout the second half of the 20th century: according to the Austro-Hungarian census of 1910, around 21% of inhabitants of Carinthia spoke Slovene in their daily communication; by 1951, this figure had dropped to less than 10%, and by 2001 to a mere 2.8%.

During [[World War II]], Slovenia was divided among the [[Axis Powers]] of [[Kingdom of Italy#Fascist regime (1922–1943)|Fascist Italy]], [[Nazi Germany]], and [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]]. Each of the occupying powers tried to either discourage or entirely suppress Slovene.

Following World War II, Slovenia became part of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]. Slovene was one of the official languages of the federation. In the territory of Slovenia, it was commonly used in almost all areas of public life. One important exception was the [[Yugoslav People's Army|Yugoslav army]], where Serbo-Croatian was used exclusively, even in Slovenia.

National independence has further fortified the language: since 1991, when Slovenia gained independence, Slovene has been used as an official language in all areas of public life. In 2004, it became one of the official languages of the European Union upon the admission of Slovenia.

Nonetheless, the post-breakup influence of Serbo-Croatian on Slovene continued to a lesser extent, most prominently in [[slang]] in [[colloquial language]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YuBEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA199 |last=Törnquist-Plewa |first=Barbara |title=The Balkans in Focus: Cultural Boundaries in Europe |date=2002 |page=199 |editor-last=Resic |editor-first=Sanimir |publisher=Nordic Academic Press |location=Lund, Sweden |isbn=978-91-87121-70-8 |oclc=802047788}}</ref>

[[Joža Mahnič]], a literary historian and president of the publishing house {{lang|sl|[[Slovenska matica]]}}, said in February 2008 that Slovene is a language rich enough to express everything, including the most sophisticated and specialised texts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.druzina.si/icd/spletnastran.nsf/all/E86349C24C8298B2C12573F500469D46?OpenDocument |title=Družina: Slovenščina se siromaši "v ustih domišljavih bedakov" |language=sl |trans-title=Slovene Is Impoverished "In the Mouths of Conceited Fools" |date=24 August 2008 |publisher=Družina}}</ref> In February 2010, [[Janez Dular]], a prominent Slovene linguist, commented that, although Slovene is not an endangered language, its scope has been shrinking, especially in science and higher education.<ref name="Dular">{{cite news |url=http://www.sta.si/en/vest.php?s=a&id=1482640 |title=Linguist Says Slovenian Language Not Endangered |date=21 February 2010 |publisher=Slovenian Press Agency}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/drugo/bo-slovenscina-nekoc-le-orodje-preprostega-sporazumevanja/224106 |title=Bo slovenščina nekoč le orodje preprostega sporazumevanja? |language=sl |trans-title=Will Slovene Some Day Be Only The Language of Simple Communication |publisher=MMC RTV Slovenia |date=21 February 2010}}</ref>