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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Europe > Croatia > Croatian

Croatian

A language of Croatia

ISO 639-3: hrv

Population  3,980,000 in Croatia (2001 census). Population total all countries: 5,546,590.
Region  Also in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States.
Alternate names   Hrvatski
Dialects  Kaykavski, Chakavski, Shtokavski (Ijekavski). Shtokavski official dialect, but others recognized as valid dialects, with much literature. Chakavski in western and northern Croatia, Dalmatian coast, and Adriatic Islands; Kaykavski in northeastern Croatia and Zagreb; dialects in other countries, like Burgenland Croatian in Austria, less intelligible.
Classification  Indo-European, Slavic, South, Western
A member of macrolanguage Serbo-Croatian [hbs] (Serbia).
Language use  Official language. Also use English or German.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 90%. Fully developed. Bible: 1804–1968.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Formerly considered part of the Serbo-Croat language. SVO. Christian.

Also spoken in:

Austria

Language name   Croatian
Population  19,400 in Austria (2001 census).
Region  Burgenland and Vienna.
Dialects  Burgenland Croatian.
Language use  National language. About 40 primary schools teach bilingually through Croatian and German. Rapid assimilation with the German-speaking population.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: Low.
Comments  Croatian spoken in Burgenland differs extensively from that spoken in the Republic of Croatia and intelligibility is difficult. Some dialects heavily influenced by German. Christian.
 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Language name   Croatian
Population  469,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2004).
Dialects  Croatian, Serbian.
Language use  Official language.
 

Hungary

Language name   Croatian
Population  14,300 in Hungary (2001 census). Ethnic population: 19,175.
Region  South border area.
Dialects  Croatian, Serbian.
Comments  Christian.
 

Italy

Language name   Croatian
Population  3,500 in Italy (Vincent 1987).
Region  South Molise, Montemitro, San Felice del Molise, Acquaviva-Collecroce villages.
Dialects  Croatian.
Language use  Official in one municipality. There are efforts to revive the use of Croatian literature.
Comments  Descendants of 15th and 16th century refugees. Christian.
 

Montenegro

Language name   Croatian
Population  6,810 in Montenegro (2006).
 

Serbia

Language name   Croatian
Population  114,000 in Serbia (2006).
Language use  Official language.
 

Slovakia

Language name   Croatian
Population  890 in Slovakia (2001 census).
Dialects  Croatian.
Comments  Christian.
 

United States

Language name   Croatian
Population  58,400 in United States (2000 census).
Dialects  Croatian.