North Macedonia Marks 80 Years of Standard Language Codification

The Macedonian language isn’t only the past, it is a bridge to the future. So let this anniversary be not only a moment to remember but also a moment to awaken, a moment when we once again say this is ours, this is valuable, this is eternal, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said at a formal academy marking the 80th anniversary of the codification of the Macedonian standard language held at the Macedonian National Theater (MNT), CE Report quotes MIA.

Quoting Misirkov and Koneski, as well as mentioning their predecessors, the Prime Minister stressed their significance as figures who laid the foundations for the language, stressing that despite being codified and becoming official in 1945, “the language has existed for many centuries”.

“Eighty years ago, the Macedonian standard language was codified. This was more than an administrative act. This was the recognition of a deep, sincere, long and difficult struggle of a people for their name, their expression and their independence. The codification didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of decades of work and the persistence of great people and generations of intellectuals, teachers, poets, journalists, readers. Each of them contributed a word, a thought, a heart,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister stressed the language must be spoken, created and developed, while also addressing Macedonians in the diaspora and urging them to transfer the Macedonian language to their descendants.

Mickoski noted that the fate of small nations in the 21st century “is to constantly affirm, fight and hold on to their right to an identity”, cautioning against “powerful propagandas that strike at the features of the identity”.

“And not unfrequently we, as a people, have suffered such blows. The pain is greater when they come from people at home who, for various personal or lucrative interests, will dispute it or carelessly inject suspicion into a historical truth that affirms as a people and nation. Our language is our bulwark and indisputable identity and, as Prime Minister, I won’t deviate from our civilizational right to speak Macedonian, to introduce myself in Macedonian, for us to express our joy in Macedonian, weep in Macedonian and sing in our centuries-long Macedonian language. Our grandfathers did this, and our children will do this too. That’s why many will see us as an obstacle, but I always know that I am working for my citizens and our shared motherland and when it comes to this we mustn’t be, and we aren’t alone,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister said the Government will continue to invest in the Macedonian language through projects and assistance for the institutions that will implement them.

“Through educational reforms, digital projects, dictionaries and standardization. The Government will support publishers, media, writers and teachers, it will strengthen institutions such as the Krste Misirkov Macedonian Language Institute and the university departments in the country and abroad. It will invest in programs for the learning and promotion of the language through various technologies and international cooperation, and provide new forms of expression through the language for young people in literature and in public life,” Mickoski said.

The event marking the 80th anniversary of the codification of the Macedonian standard language included recitals of excerpts from works by Macedonian writers, as well as musical and dance performances.