Message by President Stevo Pendarovski on the occasion of four new editions on the Macedonian language

7 July 2020 | Speeches

I gladly accepted the invitation to attend the promotion of the four editions on the Macedonian language. Due to previous commitments, unfortunately, I am not able to be with you. However, with this short message, I would like to greet you and share some insights with you.

First of all, I would like to congratulate the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Institute for Macedonian Language “Krste Misirkov”, the Faculty of Philology “Blaze Koneski” and the Council for Macedonian Language for this great joint venture that expresses respect for their founders and patrons. The four editions on the Macedonian language are published in the jubilee year, 75th years since the publication of the Macedonian alphabet and the Macedonian orthography, when, in 1945, the process of codification of the Macedonian standard language was completed.

These four volumes confirm that the Macedonian language is an undeniable historical and cultural fact that has been verified by world linguistics and Slavic studies. As a living language with a long oral and written tradition, the Macedonian language precedes the state that has standardized and codified it. The language has survived even in the most unfavorable conditions due to its ability to adapt to change, to evolve and to develop in numerous dialects. It was the codification that enabled many generations of Macedonian citizens to be educated and create in the Macedonian language smoothly. Exactly the codification created conditions for the flourishing of the Macedonian science and art, but also the opening of departments and lectureships in Macedonian language at numerous universities in Europe and in the world. Exactly the codification enabled the Macedonian language today to have a constitutionally and legally guaranteed status in the Republic of North Macedonia, and thus internationally. Therefore, all attempts to deny, revise and interpret the reality of the Macedonian language outside the scientific sphere are pointless.

One of the specifics of the Macedonian language is its openness for exchange with other Balkan languages with which it shared time and space. The richness of different languages on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia enriches the Macedonian language which is the fruit of multiethnic coexistence. Therefore, as the state has an obligation to take care of the promotion of the language rights of the citizens of all ethnic communities, the institutions have an obligation to take care of the Macedonian language and its integrative function.

Finally, in the digital age, those languages will continue to develop that will be able to adapt in time to the new digital reality. Hence, we have a generational obligation to the youth, to the future generations to continue with the digitalization of the Macedonian language, both of the rich cultural and spiritual linguistic heritage, and of the most modern achievements, in order to make it available all over the world.

With that in mind, at the very end, I thank all the institutions and individuals involved in the publication of the four-volume edition and I wish even greater creative achievements in nurturing and affirming the Macedonian language in our country and in the world.

Stevo Pendarovski

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