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From: kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz (Paul J. Kriha)
Subject: Re: Czech Language(s) ??
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Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 14:14:17 GMT
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In article <45b9l3$igf@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>,
   feldstei@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Ronald F. Feldstein) wrote:
>The term "Czech" is ambiguous.  In the narrow sense, it is the Slavic
>equivalent of "Bohemian," and refers to the dialects spoken in the
>western part of the Czech Republic, in contrast to other dialect zones,
>such as Moravia (Hanak), Lach, and Moravian Slovakia (transitional to
>Slovak).  In the broad sense, it takes on the meaning of the totality
>of the above mentioned zones, commonly known as the "Czech language,"
>distinguished from Slovak by the famous hushing pronunciation of the
>r (symbolized by r written with a hachek).
>
>Thus, if someone distinguishes Czech from Moravian, they are using "Czech"
>in the narrow sense.  But, if they unite Bohemian and Moravian as a
>single "Czech" language, they are using the term in its broad meaning.
>
>Ronald Feldstein
>

If by Czech you mean Czech language then you would be
disagreed with a lot of people.
Neither of the terms Czech Language, or Common Czech
are ambiguous, they are specific terms with well defined 
meaning.  The distinctness of Moravia, Bohemia and 
Czech Silesia (which you did not mention) has not much
to do with _language_.  Just as many if not more different
_dialects_ of Czech are spoken by Czechs in Cechy
(ie. Bohemia) as they are in Moravia but they are all
united by common 'Common Czech' and common 'Literary Czech'.

In fact in some parts of Moravia they take pride in
speaking what they regard as better Czech then Bohemian
Czech.

The separateness of Moravia and Cechy is traditional.
It has to do with medieaval or even older politics
and administration. In medieaval times Moravia, Silesia
and Cechy were separate Crown Lands of the Czech Crown
(at times other crown lands were larger Silesia, Upper
and Lower Lusatia, Luxembourg, Brandenburg, Upper Falc,
etc. Different languages were spoken there of course  :-).

Paul JK




