Macedonian (македонски)

Macedonian is a southern Slavic language with about 3 million speakers in the Republic of Macedonia (Република Македонија), Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, the USA, Canada and Australia. Macedonian became the official language of the Republic of Macedonia in 1944.

From the end of the 16th century vernacular Macedonian began to appear in writing, though a modern standard written version of Macedonian only appeared in 1945. Since then many literary works have been published in Macedonian. Literary Macedonian is based on the dialects of the West Central region (Prilep, Kičevo, Bitola, Kruševo and Lerin).

Note: The Republic of Macedonia is called "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM): Поранешна Југословенска Република Македонија (ПЈРМ) by Greece, the United Nations and a few other organisations. The Greek version of the name is πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας (π.Γ.Δ.Μ.).

Cyrillic alphabet for Macedonian (македонска азбука)

Cyrillic alphabet for Macedonian

Notes

Latin alphabet for Macedonian

This is method of writing Macedonian with the Latin alphabet was devised by Nikolče Stojanoski.

Latin alphabet for Macedonian

Sample text in Macedonian

Ситe чoвeчки суштeствa сe рaѓaaт слoбoдни и eднaкви пo дoстoинствo и прaвa. Tиe сe oбдaрeни сo рaзум и сoвeст и трeбa дa сe oднeсувaaт eдeн кoн друг вo дуxoт нa oпштo чoвeчкaтa припaднoст.

Listen to a recording of this text

Transliteration (Contemporary Macedonian)

Site čovečki suštestva se ragjaat slobodni i ednakvi po dostoinstvo i prava. Tie se obdareni so razum i sovest i treba da se odnesuvaat eden kon drug vo duhot na opšto čovečkata pripadnost.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Longer sample text (Tower of Babel)

Useful phrases in Macedonian

Macedonian language courses, dictionaries, etc.

Links

An introduction to the modern Macedonian language
http://www.makedonija.info/language.html

The Macedonian alphabet with sound files
http://macedoniadirect.com/azbuka.htm

Macedonian transliteration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanisation_of_Macedonian

Online Macedonian lessons
http://www.utoronto.ca/slavic/macedonian/

Online Macedonian dictionary
http://www.idividi.com.mk/recnik/

Find a Macedonian language exchange partner
http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn/Macedonian.asp

Online Macedonian radio and news
http://www.makdenes.org

Information about the Republic of Macedonia
http://www.mymacedonia.net
http://www.cybermacedonia.com
http://www.macedonia.co.uk/mcic/

Information about Ancient Macedonia
http://www.unet.com.mk/ancient-macedonians/
http://www.ancientmacedonia.com

Related languages

Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Kashubian, Macedonian, Old Church Slavonic, Polish, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Sorbian, Ukrainian

Other languages written with the Cyrillic alphabet