On the Latest Attack on Our Language

by Blaže Koneski

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Note

This work has been sourced from the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU). The materials are used for scholarly, educational, and cultural-historical purposes, in support of the preservation, study, and promotion of Macedonian cultural heritage.

The original source is available via the project’s official web portal: Digital Resources of the Macedonian Language.

Description

On the Latest Attack on Our Language (По повод најновиот напад на нашиот јазик) published in 1948 by Blazhe Koneski is a polemic that addresses the attacks on the Macedonian literary language. The author argues that the formation of the Macedonian literary language was a natural result of the national development of the Macedonian people.

He refutes the claims made by Serbian and Bulgarian chauvinists that the language was "artificially created" or an "invention" with political motives. The book states that such arguments were also used against other Slavic languages, such as Ukrainian, which was also a target of similar "scientific" and "emotional" attacks.

Koneski concludes that despite these attacks, the Macedonian language, like others, will continue to exist and develop.

About the Author

Author

Blaže Koneski(1921 - 1993)

Blaže Koneski was a Macedonian poet, writer, translator, and linguist, widely regarded as a key figure in the standardization of the modern Macedonian language. Born in Nebregovo, near Prilep (then in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes), he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade in 1941. Koneski played a pivotal role in codifying the Macedonian literary language post-WWII, serving as a leading member of the commission for language standardization.

He co-authored the seminal "Macedonian Orthography" (1950) with Krum Tošev, establishing spelling rules for the language. Koneski was a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, where he also served as dean, and was the first president of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU). His scholarly work focused on Macedonian phonology, grammar, and literature, producing numerous essays, textbooks, and studies. As a poet, he published influential collections like Mostot (1945) and Zemjata i ljubovta (1950), blending modernist and folk elements.

Koneski also translated works by Shakespeare, Goethe, and Pushkin into Macedonian, enriching its literary tradition. His contributions earned him recognition as a cornerstone of Macedonian cultural identity.