ABSTRACT
The approximate present distribution of the Slavonic (or Slavic) languages can be seen in The approximate present distribution of the Slavonic (or Slavic) languages can be seen from Map 14.1 overleaf. The languages currently spoken, according to their genetic relations the attached sketch-map. The languages currently spoken, according to their genetic rela-within Slavonic (see below) are as follows. South Slavonic: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbotions within Slavonic (see below) are: South Slavonic: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian/Croat (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian), Slovene. West Slavonic: Czech, Slovak, Polish, Upper Croatian/Bosnian, Slovene; West Slavonic: Czech, Slovak, Polish, Upper and Lower and Lower Sorbian (Lusatian). East Slavonic: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian (Belorussian). Sorbian (Lusatian); East Slavonic: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian (Belorussian). In addi-In addition, some speech varieties have an of tion, some speech varieties have an official status ficial status on the border between language on the border between language and and dialect, such as Kashubian (Cassubian) in Poland. Finally, two extinct Slavonic landialect, such as Kashubian (Cassubian) in Poland. Finally, two extinct Slavonic languages guages are known from texts: Polabian (a West Slavonic language spoken in northern are known from texts: Polabian (a West Slavonic language spoken in northern Germany Germany until around 1700) and Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian) (a South Slavonic until around 1700) and Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian) (a South Slavonic language language attested by a huge volume of texts starting in the ninth century). In phonological attested by a huge volume of texts starting in the ninth century). In phonological and mor-and morphological structure the Slavonic languages are very close to one another, more phological structure the Slavonic languages are very close to one another, more so than the so than the Romance languages. The same applies to their basic lexicon; for more abstract Romance languages. The same applies to their basic lexicon; for more abstract and technical and technical vocabulary, however, there is considerable language diversity, re vocabulary, however, there is considerable language diversity, reflecting different flecting different national policies towards loanwords and use of native word-forming techniques: thus policies towards loanwords and use of native word-forming techniques: thus Russian Russian and Polish use the international word and Polish use the international word teatr ‘theatre, while Czech uses divadlo (from teatr’ ‘theatre’, while Czech uses a divadlo (from a root meaning ‘look’) and Serbo-Croat has two words, Croatian preferring root meaning ‘look’) and Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian has two words, Croatian preferring kazalište (from a root meaning ‘show’), Serbian kazalište (from a root meaning ‘show’),pozorište Serbian (from a root meaning ‘see’). pozorište (from a root meaning ‘see’).
