Issues of the Macedonian language

There are two aspects of the so-called "Issues of learn Macedonian language":

1) It 'the language of Philip II and Alexander the Great?

2) It 'a separate language from the Bulgarian?

1) Some Greek authors have claimed the existence of links with the language of Philip II and Alexander of Macedonia, not only to justify the annexation of the Macedonian territory to Greece but also to demonstrate the continuity of the Greek language in the areas where there was spoken. Today, most researchers would agree that the Macedonian contemporary has no connection with the ancient Macedonian, apart from the common Indo-European ancestry.

The ancient Macedonian language was probably an Indo-European language, as different from the greek. There are theories that consider nearest all'estinto Thracian or all'illirico that were spoken respectively in the territories of Bulgaria and Albania, but have not been preserved texts. It is believed that this language was spoken by the people in the north, in the mountainous regions, while the population in the city and that of the upper classes, influenced by greek, they gradually started to lose their native language and acquired the Greek. Contacts with Chalcis Greek regions of Thessaly and were strengthened in the fifth and fourth centuries, and simultaneously kicked off the process of national assimilation. When Greece was conquered by Philip of Macedonia and occupied by his son Alexander the Great, the Macedonian officially became Greek.

2) The Macedonian is a late standardization of a Slavic dialect of the south which is very close to the south-western Bulgarian dialects. Because of this fact, the Bulgarian linguists used to treat it as a dialect of Bulgarian regional rather than a separate language. This conclusion was based on the fact that the most significant aspects of the Macedonian language (vowels reflected the lack of forms cases, items postponed, the lack of infinities, the rich and temporal modal system, etc..) Were also found in Bulgarian, while the more specific phonetic features in common with the dialects of the western part of Bulgaria, so there is no obvious change in the two sides of the Bulgarian-Macedonian border (as opposed to the Serbian-Croatian which is clearly separated from the Bulgarian by numerous dialects transition). The Macedonian language is so close to the Bulgarian citizens of both countries can understand each other without translation. Apart from the linguistic aspects, the question come strictly political considerations: both countries fear that behind the language debate there may be territorial claims.

Skopje has refused to recognize the position of Sofia, fearing that such a move could bring later the Bulgarians to claim its territories.

In 1999, an important agreement in the form of a joint declaration was promoted from deputy foreign ministers of both countries. In it, both parties agree not to make territorial claims against each other. This has removed the main interests behind the dispute of the language. Consenting to the signing of the agreements "in the official languages ​​of the two countries," (rather than "in the official language in Macedonia and in the official language of Bulgaria", as suggested Skopje), Prime Minister of Bulgaria Ivan Kostov offered a compromise that, in Indeed, he recognized the Macedonian language. On the other hand, Skopje agreed not to apply Article 49 to Bulgaria that in fact tantamount to saying that there is a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. This political move paved the way for greater cooperation between the two countries and, lately, has put aside the "language question".