Is Croatian a Romance Language?
In this article, you will learn whether Croatian is a Romance language or not by exploring its history and linguistic roots.
What is a Romance Language?
A Romance language is a language that comes from Latin, the language spoken in the Roman Empire. As the empire expanded, Latin spread across many regions. Over time, people in different areas spoke it in their own way, creating new languages.
These languages kept many Latin words and grammar rules, though they also changed and developed unique features. They are still connected, which is why they share similar words and structures.
The term "Romance" comes from the Latin romanice, meaning "in the Roman way." In medieval times, stories written in these languages (instead of Latin) were called "romances." Eventually, the name stuck, and the languages themselves became known as Romance languages.
Is Croatian a Romance Language?
No, Croatian is not a Romance language. It belongs to a completely different language family—the Slavic family.
While Romance languages come from Latin, Croatian comes from Proto-Slavic, the ancient language of the Slavic people. It is part of the South Slavic branch, along with Serbian, Bosnian, Slovenian, and others. This means it has more in common with languages like Russian, Polish, and Czech than with French or Spanish.
That said, Croatian does have some Latin influence. During the time of the Roman Empire, Latin was spoken in parts of the region, and later, Croatian borrowed words from Latin through contact with Italian and other Romance languages. But borrowing words doesn’t make a language Romance—its grammar, structure, and origins determine that.
One big difference is grammar. Croatian has cases, which change the form of words depending on their role in a sentence. Romance languages lost this feature over time. Croatian also uses the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets, depending on the region, while Romance languages mainly use the Latin script.
So, while Croatian may have some Latin-based words, it is firmly a Slavic language, not a Romance one. If you speak a Romance language, you might recognize a few familiar words, but the grammar and structure will feel very different!
Comparison Between Croatian and Romance Languages
Croatian and Romance languages may share some Latin-based vocabulary, but they are very different in structure. Here's a comparison to show the main distinctions:
Grammar
Croatian uses cases, which means that words change form depending on their role in a sentence (subject, object, etc.). Romance languages, like Spanish or French, do not use cases and rely on word order to show meaning.
Example:
- Croatian: Vidim psa (I see the dog) – psa is in the accusative case.
- Spanish: Veo al perro – no case change, just word order.
Verb Conjugation
Croatian verbs are conjugated based on tense, person, and aspect. Romance languages also conjugate verbs, but Croatian often has more aspects (perfective and imperfective), affecting how actions are viewed.
Example:
- Croatian: Raditi (to work, imperfective), Napraviti (to do, perfective)
- Spanish: Trabajar (to work) has no distinction between perfective and imperfective.
Vocabulary
While both language groups share Latin roots, Croatian has Slavic roots as well, making its core vocabulary distinct from that of Romance languages. Croatian includes Latin loanwords but also Slavic-based words that Romance languages don’t use.
Alphabet
Croatian uses the Latin alphabet but also contains certain characters like č, ž, š. Romance languages also use the Latin alphabet, but Croatian includes some additional letters not found in most Romance languages.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Croatian | Romance Languages |
|---|---|---|
| Language Family | Slavic | Latin (Romance) |
| Grammar | Cases (7 cases) | No cases, relies on word order |
| Verb Conjugation | Aspect-based | No aspect distinction |
| Vocabulary | Slavic + Latin loans | Primarily Latin-based |
| Alphabet | Latin + additional letters (č, ž, š) | Latin script only |
Romance Influence in Croatian Dialects
Croatian has several dialects, and some show more Romance influence than others, mainly because of historical contact with Italy and other Romance-speaking regions, especially along the coast.
The Istrian dialect stands out as the most influenced by Romance languages. Spoken in the Istrian Peninsula, this area was part of the Roman Empire and had long contact with Italian-speaking communities. Because of this, the Istrian dialect includes many Italian words, especially in areas like architecture, food, and everyday life. For example, fabrika (factory) and stazione (station) come directly from Italian.
The Dalmatian dialect, spoken along the Dalmatian coast, also has some Romance influence due to its proximity to Italy and centuries of Venetian rule. However, Dalmatian was once a Romance language on its own until it disappeared in the 19th century. Even though the language is no longer spoken, traces of its Latin roots can still be found in the dialect today.
Basically, the influence of Romance languages is strongest in coastal areas. The dialects spoken further inland are less affected by Latin-based languages. These inland dialects are more similar to other Slavic languages, keeping the typical structure and vocabulary of the South Slavic family. For example, in inland dialects, you’ll hear words like pjesma (song) instead of the more Italian-influenced canzona.
Conclusion
Croatian is a Slavic language, not a Romance one. While it shares some Latin-based vocabulary, its grammar, verb structure, and overall linguistic roots are distinctly Slavic.
If you're learning Croatian, remember that it has its own unique features and structure. It's a fascinating language with a rich history and culture! If you want to learn Croatian, you can create a free account on our website and start your journey to becoming a Croatian speaker.
If you want to know more about Croatian, we have a bunch of other articles on our blog, feel free to check them out!