Ethnic Stereotypes in the Croatian Dialect Idioms

Abstract

Idioms are an inexhaustible source for analysing human perception of the world and one’s relationship to it. In this context, a high frequency of negatively connoted idioms is often observed. Analyses usually focus on differences among national idioms, while dialectal idioms are treated only marginally. Previous phraseological research has confirmed that many idioms reflect a large number of prejudices and stereotypes. Some of these stereotypical phraseological units are attested in several languages – some only in a single language, and others only in a particular dialect or local speech. Although interest in the study of stereotypes in individual dialects has been increasing in recent years, a comprehensive description of ethnic stereotypes across all Croatian dialects is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the available dialectal phraseological material from all three Croatian dialects: Kajkavian, Čakavian, and Štokavian. The material was collected in two ways: by excerpting idioms from available written sources in which ethnic stereotypes are attested, as well as through field research. The analysis sought to determine which ethnonyms are the most frequent, which are attested in idioms of all three Croatian dialects, which are specific to a particular local speech, and which stereotypes prevail. The results have shown that, regardless of dialectal and spatial differences among Croatian dialects, most ethnic stereotypes are shared by the entire speech community. The differences that do appear reflect the specific characteristics of individual communities and the roles that members of certain ethnic groups have played or continue to play within them.