Dvadeset godina bosanskog jezika

Although the Bosnian language, according to some definitions, has a centenary tradition, we nevertheless may say that it celebrates, in a modern sense, its twentieth anniversary this year. Twenty years ago, in 1991, two important books appeared, Jezik bosanskih Muslimana by Dževad Jahić and Bosanski jezik by Senahid Halilović. Although the term Bosnian was established as official, in the law, only later, in 1993, the two books indicated at the time the beginning of a new era in the linguistic history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, both for the domestic public and for Slavists in the world. During these twenty years, the Bosnian language has passed through different stages, partly due to the political development in the country, partly due to the language politics adopted by the two other constituent nations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The paper will try to make a historical overview of the development during these twenty years, and discuss the present-day sociolinguistic situation.