Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary

Official Name: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population: 3,321,000
General Remarks: Consists of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republika Srpska
Principal Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Literacy Rate: 99% (2015 World Factbook)
International Conventions: CDE (1960), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ECRML (1992), FCPNM (1998), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Bosnia and Herzegovina is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 2 are indigenous and 5 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 2 are developing, 1 is vigorous, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 6 unestablished languages.

Languages

Bosnian bos: Users: 2,010,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook). Total users in all countries: 2,742,490. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). Alternate Names: Serbo-Croatian Autonym: Bosanski jezik‎ Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western
Bosnian Sign Language ysl: Scattered. Users: 10,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 7,000–13,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of the general population. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: BSL, BZJ, Bosanski znakovni jezik, YSL, Yugoslav Sign Language, Yugoslavian Sign Language Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Bulgarian bul: Users: 4,100 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern
Croatian hrv: Users: 554,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). Alternate Names: Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western
French fra: Users: 25,500 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Marcoux et al 2022), L2 users. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Greek ell: Users: 1,800 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic
Italian ita: Users: 3,600 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian
Ladino lad: Sarajevo. Users: 4 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018 S. Zaraysky). Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Djidió, Judeo-Spanish, Judezmo, Spanyolit Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
Montenegrin cnr: Users: 7,300 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western
Romani, Vlax rmy: Scattered. Users: 4,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012 R. Hasic). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Danubian, Gurbéti, Gypsy, Rom, Tsigene, Vlax Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Vlax
Serbian srp: Users: 1,170,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). Alternate Names: Montenegrin, Serbo-Croatian Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western
Turkish tur: Users: 1,200 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish
Ukrainian ukr: Users: 1,800 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Bosnian

[bos] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). 2,010,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook). Total users in all countries: 2,742,490.

Croatian

[hrv] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). 554,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook).

Serbian

[srp] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)). 1,170,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook).

5 (Dispersed)

French

[fra] 5* (Dispersed). 25,500 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Marcoux et al 2022), L2 users.

Romani, Vlax

[rmy] 5* (Dispersed). 4,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012 R. Hasic).

6a (Vigorous)

Bosnian Sign Language

[ysl] 6a* (Vigorous). 10,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 7,000–13,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of the general population.

8b (Nearly extinct)

Ladino

[lad] 8b (Nearly extinct). 4 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018 S. Zaraysky).

Unestablished

Bulgarian

[bul] Unestablished. 4,100 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Greek

[ell] Unestablished. 1,800 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Italian

[ita] Unestablished. 3,600 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Montenegrin

[cnr] Unestablished. 7,300 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Turkish

[tur] Unestablished. 1,200 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Ukrainian

[ukr] Unestablished. 1,800 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014 J. Leclerc).

Maps

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Bosnia and Herzegovina is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of vitality. The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level.
The vitality levels and the color coding of the bars match the scheme used in the guide on How many languages are endangered? In this scheme, the levels and colors are as follows:
- Dark green = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Light green = Stable (EGIDS 5-6a) — The language is not being sustained by formal institutions, but It is still the norm in the home and community that all children learn and use the language.
- Red = Endangered (EGIDS 6b-9) — It is no longer the norm that children learn and use this language.
These three summary levels have been derived by grouping levels in the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), which is the more fine-grained scale that Ethnologue uses to assess the status of every language in terms of development versus endangerment; see the Language Status page for a description of the levels of that scale. See also the pages on Development and Endangerment for more discussion.
Language Status Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Bosnia and Herzegovina is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of development or endangerment as measured on the EGIDS scale. (See the pages on Development and Endangerment for a fuller explanation.) The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level. Consult the Status listings for Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to see the specific languages for each level.
The color coding of the bars matches the color scheme used in the summary profile graphs on the navigation maps for the site. In this scheme, the EGIDS levels are grouped as follows:
- Purple = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Blue = Developing (EGIDS 5) — The language is in vigorous use, with literature in a standardized form being used by some though this is not yet widespread or sustainable.
- Green = Vigorous (EGIDS 6a) — The language is unstandardized and in vigorous use among all generations.
- Yellow = In trouble (EGIDS 6b-7) — Intergenerational transmission is in the process of being broken, but the child-bearing generation can still use the language so it is possible that revitalization efforts could restore transmission of the language in the home.
- Red = Dying (EGIDS 8a-9) — The only fluent users (if any) are older than child-bearing age, so it is too late to restore natural intergenerational transmission through the home; a mechanism outside the home would need to be developed.
- Black = Extinct (EGIDS 10) — The language has fallen completely out of use and no one retains a sense of ethnic identity associated with the language.

Resources

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Digest of the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina ($149.95, 22 page PDF)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action