Bohemian language

“ THE LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF BOHEMIA
THE Bohemian language is the crystallisation of a great number of Slavonic dialects, of which, as the result of political conditions, that spoken in Bohemia by the ruling division of the Slavonic race, is the one that generally prevails.
The language as it is spoken at the present time must be divided into three groups: first, that used throughout the Kingdom of Bohemia; second, that of Moravia; and third, the dialect spoken by the Slovaks of North Eastern Hungary. ”

“ The most favourable influence on its formation, however, was effected towards the close of the fifteenth century, by the custom which began to prevail of studying the classics, and of translating them with all the fidelity of which the idiom was capable. Thus fostered by judicious application and patriotic feeling, the Bohemian language approached, with rapid steps, the period of its golden age,—a time, indeed, in a political respect, of oppression, war, and devastation; but affording a gratifying proof, how powerfully moral means may counteract physical causes. ”

“ The national language, for a time used only by the peasantry in outlying districts, is now freely and generally used by the educated classes in most parts of the country. Prague itself, that had for a time acquired almost the appearance of a German town, has now a thoroughly Slavic character. The national literature also, which had almost ceased to exist, is in a very flourishing state, particularly since the foundation of a national university. At no period have so many and so valuable books been written in the Bohemian language. ”

“ Among the very ancient documents written in the Bohemian language are a considerable number of missals, psalm-books, and translations of portions of the Holy Scriptures, which, though of great archaeological and historical interest, hardly require notice in an account of Bohemian literature. ”

“ He prefers short sentences to long elaborate periods, and spares no trouble in keeping to the genuine idiom of the Bohemian language, the purity of which is chiefly felt on making an attempt to translate it into another tongue. ”

“ A half century ago the German language was spoken everywhere in Bohemia, but to-day the Germans and Bohemians have separate schools and, except where business interest compels it neither learns the language of the other. So strong is the feeling that a Bohemian, desiring to master the German language, would, if financially able, study it outside of Bohemia in preference to attending a German school in his own country. ”

“ This was used as a means to cultivate friendly relations between Bohemia and other Slavonic nations. The Bohemian language became the language of court and in the government of cities and towns; but in the previous reigns, the German tongue had gained such an ascendency that even so energetic a ruler as Charles was not able to stem the tide of foreign influence.
In the year 1356 a Diet was held at Prague, at which Charles offered to the consideration of the States a new code of laws, called Majestas Carolina;Reform in Law. ”

“ The very period at which the danger of Germanization was at its height, at which the national language seemed in the eyes of the Bohemian nationalist to be in no small danger of actual extinction, was a most flourishing epoch in the history of Bohemian literature. ”

“ The following is a list giving number of newspapers published in various parts of the world.
In this number there are 25 dailies, one of them in the german language but devoted to the interests of Bohemia in upholding its rights, liberties and privileges. Three are Social democratic, others represent the church, of course all religious bodies have their particular organ.
Prague publishes 9 dailies. America has 9 in the Bohemian language; Chicago alone has 4, the others are issued in Moravia, Silesia, Vienna and Slavonic Part of Northern Hungary. ”

“ Fear of the Teutonic peril has always harried the soul of the nation. Every historian, every poet, every patriot has admonished the people to be on their guard. One of the oldest chorals extant contains the pathetic invocation to the patron saint of the country. “St. Václav, Duke of the Bohemian Land, do not let us perish nor our descendants.”
In course of time many Germans and denationalized Bohemians were Bohemianized, so that it is hazardous to guess whether in Bohemia and Moravia more Germans adopted the Bohemian language than Bohemians the German. ”

“ German, Polish, Russian, Italian, and other languages soon appeared, and the interest was of course yet far greater in Bohemia itself, where they became the recognised models for the Bohemian writers who were then beginning to revive the national language.
Though some doubts as to the genuineness of the manuscript were expressed from the moment of its appearance, yet the majority of the Bohemian learned men, including such authorities as Palacký and Šafařik, firmly maintained its ancient origin. Within the last twenty years a change has taken place. ”

“ He partially acquiesced in the demands of the Bohemian Diet asking for the complete abolition of the innovations introduced by Maria Theresa and Joseph II. The Diet was granted the old privilege of voting taxes; but it was still left with the State authorities as to their mode of collection. In regard to their language, the Bohemians succeeded in having a chair of their tongue established in the university; but German still continued to be the language of instruction in the gymnasiums and higher institutions of learning. ”

“ But as every species of oppression carried to excess reacts upon itself, bringing its own punishment, so this cruel persecution of the Bohemian people proved the very means of rousing the national spirit, and awakening an interest in the cultivation of a language neglected for so many generations. ”

“ Huss himself, we are told, did almost as much for his native tongue as Luther for German. He corrected the translation of the Bible partially made in the tenth century, re-arranged the Bohemian alphabet, and fixed the orthography. Bohemians, by the way, claim that their orthography is the best in Europe. With thirty-six letters in their alphabet, and several forms of modification, they say their written language reflects their speech with absolute scientific accuracy. ”

“ It is at the present day, I hope, scarcely necessary to state that the Bohemians have no connexion whatever with the gipsies, and that their language, a Slavic one, forms part of the great Aryan family of speech. Next to Russia, which in literature as in politics is the most prominent of Slav countries, and Poland, Bohemia is the country in which Slavic literature has flourished most; and in Bohemian literature historians certainly hold a very high rank. ”

“ A ready command of the language of the country will make their lot easier—it will fit them for better and more responsible positions in the economic life of the country.
The study of Bohemian history, language and literature can have but salient effects—intensified desires for, and consequent appreciation of liberty and freedom. Not only will the Czechs and Slovaks benefit, but the English speaking world as well will be the gainer. A ready knowledge of these matters will enable our people to place before the world a better understanding and appreciation of Bohemia and her people. ”

“ About sixty years ago several Bohemian writers were bold enough to write in their own language instead of German and from that time the Bohemian spirit has grown until opposition to the overbearing Germanism became almost a passion. ”

“ Language in which lofty ideas are expressed is a language of a superior race. Literature rich in spiritual achievements is a literature of a nation of the future. This applies to Bohemia with particular significance since its literature had its great inspiration, its roots, so to speak, in that miracle of modern history—the Bohemian Reformation. ”

“ On the other hand, it cannot be denied, that the accumulation of consonants, in which the Bohemian surpasses by far, not the Polish, but the southern and eastern languages, and its peculiar preference of the vowels e and i over the fuller sounding a, o, u, do not add to the euphony of the language; although it seems singular to bring forward such a reproach against a people so distinguished for their musical talent.
The history of the Bohemian literature may be divided into five periods. ”

“ And prove indeed ye are Bohemians born!
So shall th’ ancestral glories re-appear,
Your own lov’d land in splendour to adorn!
↑ The expression of the Emperor Charles IV. ↑ The Lion with two tails is the emblem of Bohemia.
⁂ Cz in Czech (which is the Polish, not the Bohemian orthography, it being impossible for want of types to employ the marked letters, as the Bohemians do) should be pronounced like our ch in church. The ch at the end of the word is the only guttural sound in the Bohemian language. ”

“ There are no other Slavs who compare with the Bohemians in the high regard for schools. As one goes through the country he is struck by the palatial school building even in poor peasant villages. It seems to bear a relation similar to the prison and church in a Russian town. The inevitable result of this universal spirit is the gradual elimination of the German language. German had nearly vanished from the streets of Prague. One fared ill in a restaurant if his German were good enough to sound genuine though the waiter understood perfectly. ”

“ The people of Bohemia, such as we saw them, are better-looking than the peasantry of those parts of Germany which we had visited; but there is nothing particularly attractive about them. It is impossible, however, to judge fairly even of the surface of a people whose language one does not understand. The Bohemians do not expect to be understood by strangers, unless they can themselves speak German ”

“ As proof of our high appreciation of English literature, it is with pleasure that we state, that special arrangements have been made to issue from our press as frequently as possible all the best examples of English literary work, and in this way build up what we may reasonably style our „English library“. (Editor J. Otto—Prague.)
Bohemian scientific literature may be said only to have appeared for the first time in the 19th century, as proviously Bohemian savants published their works either in German or Latin. However, the nationalization of this branch of the work is progressing steadily. ”