Bosnian language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bosnian |
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| bosanski/босански | ||||
| Native to | Bosnia and neighboring regions, Bosnian diaspora | |||
| Native speakers | 2.5–3.5 million (date missing) (number is ambiguous) |
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| Language family | ||||
| Writing system | Latin (Gaj) Cyrillic (Serbian) Bosnian Braille |
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| Official status | ||||
| Official language in |  Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro |
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| Recognised minority language in |  Albania Serbia Macedonia Kosovo |
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| Linguasphere | part of 53-AAA-g | |||
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Bosnian is a language spoken mainly by Bosniaks. You'll hear it most often in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's also spoken in nearby countries in Europe and by people from Bosnia living all over the world.
Contents
About the Bosnian Language
Bosnian is a fascinating language with a rich history. It belongs to a large group of languages called Indo-European. More specifically, it's part of the Slavic family, which includes languages like Russian, Polish, and Croatian.
Who Speaks Bosnian?
Around 2.5 to 3.5 million people speak Bosnian. Most of them live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But you can also find Bosnian speakers in countries like Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and North Macedonia. Many Bosnians have moved to other parts of the world, so you might hear it spoken in places like Germany, Austria, and the United States too!
How is Bosnian Written?
What's really cool about Bosnian is that it uses two different alphabets! It can be written using the Latin script, which is similar to the one English uses. This is often called Gaj's Latin alphabet.
It can also be written using the Cyrillic script, which looks different from Latin letters. This is often called Serbian Cyrillic. So, if you see Bosnian text, it might look familiar or completely new, depending on which alphabet was used!
A Brief History of Bosnian
The Bosnian language has developed over many centuries. It shares a lot in common with Croatian and Serbian because they all grew from the same older language. For a long time, these languages were often grouped together.
However, Bosnian has its own unique features, words, and ways of speaking. These differences reflect the special culture and history of the Bosniak people. Old books and documents show how the language has changed and grown over time.
Images for kids
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School book of Latin and Bosnian, 1827
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Bosnian Grammar, 1890
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Nauk krstjanski za narod slovinski, by Matija Divković, the first Bosnian printed book. Published in Venice, 1611
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Bosnian dictionary by Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi Bosnevi, 1631
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See also
In Spanish: Idioma bosnio para niños
