Stjepan Ivšic
Encyclopedia
Stjepan Ivšić Croatian linguist, Slavist and accentologist.
After finishing primary school in Orahovica, he attended secondary school
in Osijek
and Požega
. At the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Zagreb
he studied Croatian
and classical philology
, and later specialized at the universities in Krakow
, Prague
, Saint Petersburg
, Moscow
, and Kiev
. He received his PhD in 1913 with the thesis Prilog za slavenski akcenat ("A contribution on Slavic accent"). He served as a professor at the secondary school in Gornji Grad
in Zagreb from 1909 to 1915, and thenceforth as a professor of Slavic Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.
The focal point of Ivšić's research were Croatian Štokavian subdialects, on which he published several very important studies (Šaptinovačko narječje, 1907; Današnji posavski govor, 1913). He was especially interested in the accentuation of Croatian subdialects and Old Slavic grammars. He was the first to determine the existence of the neoacute in all three Croatian dialects.
In 1928 he participated in the efforts of state committee to create a common orthography
for Croatian
and Serbian
. In the paper Jezik Hrvata kajkavaca (1936) he partitioned Kajkavian subdialects (not including the goranski subdialects ) into 4 major groups. He extensively studied Croatian Glagolitic heritage, especially its special language features, on which he published several works. In 1934 he tracked the Baška tablet
from Krk to Zagreb and wrote an enthusiastic article about it called Sveta Lucija u Jurandvoru i njezin dragi kamen (Jutarnji list
, No. 8115). In 1937 he became the vice president of the Croatian Language Society, and in 1938 the editor of the journal Hrvatski jezik (Croatian Language). He served as the rector of the University of Zagreb from 1939 to 1943. During the period of the Independent State of Croatia
he refused an offer to serve as the head of the Croatian State Office for Language and advocated a phonology-based orthography as opposed to the official etymological-morphological one (known as korienski 'root').
. He was the only one to sign the conclusion of Novi Sad agreement
, with the note "I give this signature with the remark that the statement in act 4 of the conclusion cannot be used for promoting Ekavian pronunciation in the present-day Ijekavian area."
A high school in Ivšić's native Orahovica
bears his name.
After finishing primary school in Orahovica, he attended secondary school
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
and Požega
Požega, Croatia
Požega is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 26,403 . It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.-Geography:...
. At the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
he studied Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
and classical philology
Classical philology
Classical philology is the study of ancient Greek and classical Latin. Classical philology has been defined as "the careful study of the literary and philosophical texts of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds." Greek and Latin literature and civilization have traditionally been considered...
, and later specialized at the universities in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. He received his PhD in 1913 with the thesis Prilog za slavenski akcenat ("A contribution on Slavic accent"). He served as a professor at the secondary school in Gornji Grad
Gradec, Zagreb
Gradec or Grič is a part of the Zagreb, Croatia, and together with Kaptol it is the mediaeval nucleus of the city. It's situated on the hill of Gornji Grad.- History :Gradec was given a royal charter by King Bela IV in 1242...
in Zagreb from 1909 to 1915, and thenceforth as a professor of Slavic Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.
The focal point of Ivšić's research were Croatian Štokavian subdialects, on which he published several very important studies (Šaptinovačko narječje, 1907; Današnji posavski govor, 1913). He was especially interested in the accentuation of Croatian subdialects and Old Slavic grammars. He was the first to determine the existence of the neoacute in all three Croatian dialects.
In 1928 he participated in the efforts of state committee to create a common orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
for Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
and Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. In the paper Jezik Hrvata kajkavaca (1936) he partitioned Kajkavian subdialects (not including the goranski subdialects ) into 4 major groups. He extensively studied Croatian Glagolitic heritage, especially its special language features, on which he published several works. In 1934 he tracked the Baška tablet
Baška tablet
Baška tablet is one of the first monuments containing an inscription in the Croatian language, dating from the year 1100.The tablet was discovered by scholars in 1851 in the paving of the Romanesque church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor, near Baška, on the island of Krk...
from Krk to Zagreb and wrote an enthusiastic article about it called Sveta Lucija u Jurandvoru i njezin dragi kamen (Jutarnji list
Jutarnji list
Jutarnji list is a daily newspaper in Croatia with a circulation of about 115,000 copies.It was launched in April 1998, becoming the first successful Croatian daily newspaper to appear since the 1950s. It was named after a Zagreb daily that used to circulate before WW2...
, No. 8115). In 1937 he became the vice president of the Croatian Language Society, and in 1938 the editor of the journal Hrvatski jezik (Croatian Language). He served as the rector of the University of Zagreb from 1939 to 1943. During the period of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
he refused an offer to serve as the head of the Croatian State Office for Language and advocated a phonology-based orthography as opposed to the official etymological-morphological one (known as korienski 'root').
Legacy
In the spring of 1945, due to alleged collaboration with the enemy, he was sentenced to exile from Zagreb and lost his membership in the Academy of Sciences and ArtsCroatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
. He was the only one to sign the conclusion of Novi Sad agreement
Novi Sad agreement
The Novi Sad Agreement was an attempt by twenty five Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin writers, linguists and intellectuals to build unity across the ethnic and linguistic divisions within Yugoslavia, and created the Serbo-Croatian language....
, with the note "I give this signature with the remark that the statement in act 4 of the conclusion cannot be used for promoting Ekavian pronunciation in the present-day Ijekavian area."
A high school in Ivšić's native Orahovica
Orahovica
Orahovica is a town in Slavonia, Croatia. It is situated on the slopes of the mountain Papuk and positioned on the state road D2 Varaždin-Koprivnica-Našice-Osijek.-Economy:...
bears his name.
Works
- Srpsko-hrvatski jezik. Izgovor i intonacija s recitacijama na pločama (with M. Kravar; Zagreb, 1955)
- Slavenska poredbena gramatika (prepared by R. Katičić and J. Vrana, Zagreb. 1970)
- Izabrana djela iz slavenske akcentuacije (prepared by B. Finka, Munich, 1971),
- Jezik Hrvata kajkavaca (prepared by J. Lisac, Zaprešić, 1996)