akritas
04-27-2006, 09:23 AM
Today observers agree that there is more than one variant of Macedonians. Ironically, all these variants are usually defined in foreign languages by the same name: Macedonians, Macedoniens, Macedoni etc. (with the notable exception of the Germans, who use two names: “Makedonen” for the Ancient Macedonians, and “Mazedonier” for the various contemporary brands of Macedonians) as Giourkas explain us in the thread that called German Perspective
(http://www.macedoniaontheweb.com/forum/linguistics-forum/556-german-perspective.html)
Let us, then take one by one the various brands of Macedonians.
A. MACEDONIANS OF ANTIQUITY:
A tribe of Greek culture and language The etymology of their name is further proof of their greek identity. They gave their name to the land and self-identified themselves in their Greek vernacular as , [pronounced ‘makethnΙ’ (a as in about, e as in bet, Ι as ea in eat’)]. Under Alexander the Great they united the Greeks and spread the greek language and greek civilisation to the known limits of the world.
B. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONES] AS A REGIONAL GREEK NAME:
For centuries, in Byzantine and Ottoman times, Greek-speakers of the wider and usually ill-defined Macedonian regions identified themselves as Macedonians in the regional as well as in a cultural sense. Particularly after the revival of Greek cultural heritage, educated Makethones also compounded their greek identity with elements of the ancient Macedonian heritage and proud references to the Kings Alexander and Philip and their generals such as Philotas, Krateros, etc. It is interesting to notice that such names were given only by the Greeks of Macedonia to their children, not by the Slavs of Macedonia, who opted for names of the medieval Bulgarian tradition (Boris, Ivan). How popular the Macedonian name is among the Greeks of Macedonia, is attested by its widespread use. Since the 19th century, and especially during the 20th until today, numerous Greek firms, shops, associations, schools (both private and state institutions) have used the adjective “Macedonian” as part of their trade mark.
C. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONTSI] AS A REGIONAL BULGARIAN NAME:
At the time of the Bulgarian renaissance of the 19th century, and during the national liberation struggles, the Bulgarians, like the Greeks, used regional names, in addition to their ethnic Bulgarian name, to identify themselves. Thus the name Makedontsi was used to differentiate the Bulgarians of Macedonia from the Dunavtsi, Trakiitsi etc. The name Makedontsi gained more prominence after the establishment of the Bulgarian state (1878) and during the Bulgarian armed fighting in Macedonia in the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. It was used to describe the Bulgarians of Macedonia and distinguish them from those of the Bulgarian Principality. The term is still being used in this sense by Bulgarian Macedonians in Bulgaria and the diaspora.
D. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONTSI] AS AN ETHNIC TERM OF CERTAIN SLAVS OF THE WIDER MACEDONIAN REGION:
Nationalists and scholars continue their debate over their diametrically opposing views concerning the origins of the name Makedontsi as an ethnic term. It is still a controversial issue. It is true, however, that at the beginning of the 20th century, certain Slav- (Bulgarian-) speaking intellectuals and nationalists from Macedonia sought to define themselves, through the Macedonian name, as a separate national group from the Bulgarians. But the main impetus came during the 1930s when the Comintern and the communist parties of the Balkan states, motivated by political reasons, adopted the term not only as a regional but as an ethnic one. It was on this basis, that during the Second World War and after the Liberation, the Yugoslav communists accepted and sanctioned the Macedonian name as the ethnic and national name of a separate people within the Yugoslav federation.
E. MACEDONIANS OR MAKEDONTSI:
THIS IS ALSO TODAY THE NAME OF THE CITIZENS OF THE NEWLY RECOGNIZED STATE OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA (FYROM). By this name, the state recognizes not only the ethnic Slav Macedonians, but also the Albanians, the Vlachs, the Serbs and other citizens of the country.
The reader will easily recognize the problems raised by employing a single term (Macedonians) when translating into foreign languages the various Macedonian identities.
The problem becomes more acute, as persons identifying themselves by—or belonging to—one of the five variants react strongly against being identified with today’s Makedontsi.
To a considerable degree the post-World War II conflict between Bulgarians and Yugoslavs, and the most recent one between Greece and FYROM stems from the confusion over the identification of different peoples by one and the same name. Indeed, the current difficulties between Sofia and Skopje over the name of the language in which documents of bilateral agreements should be drafted, has much to do with the interpretation of the name.
Such concern on the part of Bulgarians, Greeks, Vlachs, Albanians and Muslim Slavs in FYROM, is better understood, if one realizes that the tendency by Slav-Macedonians not only to appropriate but also to monopolize the Macedonian name would, in the end, deprive the other groups of that state of their own name and identity. As a matter of fact, this is a process that was started by Tito’s regime and is still going strong under Gligorov’s.
In the past, there were attempts to circumvent the problem by identifying more explicitly the various groups. Early in this century, the Serbs, trying to distance the Slav-speakers of Macedonia from the Bulgarian national idea, initiated the term “Macedonian Slavs”. They abandoned it later when, for political reasons, they opted for the term “Southern Serbs”. In the inter-war years, the Greek Communist Party, following the line of the Comintern for recognizing a separate Slavic ethnicity in Macedonia, coined the term “Slavomakethones” (i.e. Slav Macedonians), in order to distinguish the Slav-speakers from the Makethones, i.e. the Greek-speakers of Greek Macedonia. It is worth recalling that the communist Slav speakers of Greek Macedonia accepted the name “Slav Macedonians” as the appropriate term for their self-identification, even to the point of naming their militant war time organization, SNOF (initials for “Slovenomakedonski Narodno Osloboditelen Front”).
Moreover, in the diaspora, where emigrants of various ethnic backgrounds, originating from Macedonia, employ the term Macedonians (in its English translation), there have been attempts to classify them as either Slav Macedonians, Bulgarian Macedonians or Greek Macedonians. Whereas such terminology might help clarify identities to the non-initiated into the Macedonian imbroglio, all three groups are less than happy with the idea as they claim for themselves full “ownership” to the name: The FYROM Macedonians for ethnic and citizenship reasons; the Greek Macedonians for historical and regional-cultural reasons, the Bulgarian Macedonians for regional reasons.
Yet the issue of the name remains open. Despite claims and counter claims over “exclusive rights”, experts on the Macedonian question have not failed to observe that the “name issue” is but the tip of the iceberg. That behind it is the feud over heritage, identity and eventually territories. If that were not the case; if all three main actors were ready to denounce once and for all aspirations over foreign territory and historical heritage, it would not have been difficult to reach a compromise. Or is this impossible? Serious and constructive views are welcomed.
article taken from www.macedonia-heritage.gr (http://www.macedonia-heritage.gr)
(http://www.macedoniaontheweb.com/forum/linguistics-forum/556-german-perspective.html)
Let us, then take one by one the various brands of Macedonians.
A. MACEDONIANS OF ANTIQUITY:
A tribe of Greek culture and language The etymology of their name is further proof of their greek identity. They gave their name to the land and self-identified themselves in their Greek vernacular as , [pronounced ‘makethnΙ’ (a as in about, e as in bet, Ι as ea in eat’)]. Under Alexander the Great they united the Greeks and spread the greek language and greek civilisation to the known limits of the world.
B. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONES] AS A REGIONAL GREEK NAME:
For centuries, in Byzantine and Ottoman times, Greek-speakers of the wider and usually ill-defined Macedonian regions identified themselves as Macedonians in the regional as well as in a cultural sense. Particularly after the revival of Greek cultural heritage, educated Makethones also compounded their greek identity with elements of the ancient Macedonian heritage and proud references to the Kings Alexander and Philip and their generals such as Philotas, Krateros, etc. It is interesting to notice that such names were given only by the Greeks of Macedonia to their children, not by the Slavs of Macedonia, who opted for names of the medieval Bulgarian tradition (Boris, Ivan). How popular the Macedonian name is among the Greeks of Macedonia, is attested by its widespread use. Since the 19th century, and especially during the 20th until today, numerous Greek firms, shops, associations, schools (both private and state institutions) have used the adjective “Macedonian” as part of their trade mark.
C. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONTSI] AS A REGIONAL BULGARIAN NAME:
At the time of the Bulgarian renaissance of the 19th century, and during the national liberation struggles, the Bulgarians, like the Greeks, used regional names, in addition to their ethnic Bulgarian name, to identify themselves. Thus the name Makedontsi was used to differentiate the Bulgarians of Macedonia from the Dunavtsi, Trakiitsi etc. The name Makedontsi gained more prominence after the establishment of the Bulgarian state (1878) and during the Bulgarian armed fighting in Macedonia in the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. It was used to describe the Bulgarians of Macedonia and distinguish them from those of the Bulgarian Principality. The term is still being used in this sense by Bulgarian Macedonians in Bulgaria and the diaspora.
D. MACEDONIANS [MAKEDONTSI] AS AN ETHNIC TERM OF CERTAIN SLAVS OF THE WIDER MACEDONIAN REGION:
Nationalists and scholars continue their debate over their diametrically opposing views concerning the origins of the name Makedontsi as an ethnic term. It is still a controversial issue. It is true, however, that at the beginning of the 20th century, certain Slav- (Bulgarian-) speaking intellectuals and nationalists from Macedonia sought to define themselves, through the Macedonian name, as a separate national group from the Bulgarians. But the main impetus came during the 1930s when the Comintern and the communist parties of the Balkan states, motivated by political reasons, adopted the term not only as a regional but as an ethnic one. It was on this basis, that during the Second World War and after the Liberation, the Yugoslav communists accepted and sanctioned the Macedonian name as the ethnic and national name of a separate people within the Yugoslav federation.
E. MACEDONIANS OR MAKEDONTSI:
THIS IS ALSO TODAY THE NAME OF THE CITIZENS OF THE NEWLY RECOGNIZED STATE OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA (FYROM). By this name, the state recognizes not only the ethnic Slav Macedonians, but also the Albanians, the Vlachs, the Serbs and other citizens of the country.
The reader will easily recognize the problems raised by employing a single term (Macedonians) when translating into foreign languages the various Macedonian identities.
The problem becomes more acute, as persons identifying themselves by—or belonging to—one of the five variants react strongly against being identified with today’s Makedontsi.
To a considerable degree the post-World War II conflict between Bulgarians and Yugoslavs, and the most recent one between Greece and FYROM stems from the confusion over the identification of different peoples by one and the same name. Indeed, the current difficulties between Sofia and Skopje over the name of the language in which documents of bilateral agreements should be drafted, has much to do with the interpretation of the name.
Such concern on the part of Bulgarians, Greeks, Vlachs, Albanians and Muslim Slavs in FYROM, is better understood, if one realizes that the tendency by Slav-Macedonians not only to appropriate but also to monopolize the Macedonian name would, in the end, deprive the other groups of that state of their own name and identity. As a matter of fact, this is a process that was started by Tito’s regime and is still going strong under Gligorov’s.
In the past, there were attempts to circumvent the problem by identifying more explicitly the various groups. Early in this century, the Serbs, trying to distance the Slav-speakers of Macedonia from the Bulgarian national idea, initiated the term “Macedonian Slavs”. They abandoned it later when, for political reasons, they opted for the term “Southern Serbs”. In the inter-war years, the Greek Communist Party, following the line of the Comintern for recognizing a separate Slavic ethnicity in Macedonia, coined the term “Slavomakethones” (i.e. Slav Macedonians), in order to distinguish the Slav-speakers from the Makethones, i.e. the Greek-speakers of Greek Macedonia. It is worth recalling that the communist Slav speakers of Greek Macedonia accepted the name “Slav Macedonians” as the appropriate term for their self-identification, even to the point of naming their militant war time organization, SNOF (initials for “Slovenomakedonski Narodno Osloboditelen Front”).
Moreover, in the diaspora, where emigrants of various ethnic backgrounds, originating from Macedonia, employ the term Macedonians (in its English translation), there have been attempts to classify them as either Slav Macedonians, Bulgarian Macedonians or Greek Macedonians. Whereas such terminology might help clarify identities to the non-initiated into the Macedonian imbroglio, all three groups are less than happy with the idea as they claim for themselves full “ownership” to the name: The FYROM Macedonians for ethnic and citizenship reasons; the Greek Macedonians for historical and regional-cultural reasons, the Bulgarian Macedonians for regional reasons.
Yet the issue of the name remains open. Despite claims and counter claims over “exclusive rights”, experts on the Macedonian question have not failed to observe that the “name issue” is but the tip of the iceberg. That behind it is the feud over heritage, identity and eventually territories. If that were not the case; if all three main actors were ready to denounce once and for all aspirations over foreign territory and historical heritage, it would not have been difficult to reach a compromise. Or is this impossible? Serious and constructive views are welcomed.
article taken from www.macedonia-heritage.gr (http://www.macedonia-heritage.gr)