Linguistic and political aspects of our accentual problems

Abstract

In the standard Serbo-Croatian language accentual problems play an unusually important role at the level of linguistic policy. Ilie multitude of various a really widespread accentual systems, among which the modern newätokavian accenttuation is but one of possible ones, brings about a sensible confusion in the given circumstances of a plurinational use of the same linguistic type. Thus the accentual norm itself, the famous „four-accent system«, is considerably obstructed in its efficiency, especially as to postticcentual quantity and tonal distinctions of the slum and even long accents. In the speech of several larger cities such discrepancies and oscillations are very prominent. as it results, among other things, from a recent though rather sceptical auditive-phonological insight into the actual state of our city accentuation (Magner-Matejka, 1971). It is, therefore, no wonder that today in the scolarly world possible changes in the sphere of our accentual standard are also considered. The various types of accentuation known as systems of two or three and even one or live accents with an unequal treatment of quantity which in the dialects, including those of the cities, coexist side by side with the standard four-accent system determine also a different reception of the standard type which itself undergoes their influence and vice versa, The accentual situation of the main cities, i.e. Belgrade, Zagreb, Sarajevo and Titograd, is viewed here in the light of a competition of different types of accentuation as a complex process of interference of the local accent systems with the common accentual norm, where either some two-or, notedly, three—accent system more than other ones come into question. As, however, we have here to do with a widespread and lengthy process whose definite issue is difficult to anticipate, it is very probable that no deeper intervention into the standard system could be on the agenda of our linguistic policy.