Serbian Language Research Articles

Некоторые аспекты стандартизации родовых различий в сербском и хорватском языках (на материале толковых словарей и справочников)

This article is dedicated to specific variations in gender forms of nouns in Serbian and Croatian. The aim of this research is to describe certain aspects of inter-variant gender differences in Serbian and Croatian explanatory dictionaries and language reference books. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time, specific discrepancies in gender forms have been established when comparing Serbian and Croatian literary (standard) languages. Nouns, when compared between Serbian and Croatian, may have non-identical gender characteristics. The work examines specific issues of standardizing variant gender correlates through the prism of symbols and abbreviations in the structure of Serbian and Croatian explanatory dictionaries. The unification of gender variants of individual lexical units, the selection of a recommended exemplary variant with its corresponding fixation in dictionaries and reference books, are accompanied by symbols and normative-stylistic labels. The results obtained have shown that for the Serbian language, it is characteristic to preserve the duality of the norm when choosing one of the gender variants, while for the Croatian language, it is characteristic to fix that exemplary variant which is not so representative and widespread in the Serbian language environment. The comparative analysis of gender differences is illustrated by examples from Serbian and Croatian online publications.

Научная рецензия на академическое издание: Доминанты сербской культуры: лекции по сербской культуре, истории и языку / под ред. Е. И. Якушкиной. М.: МАКС Пресс, 2023. 320 с.

The articles in this collection are based on lectures by Russian and Serbian researchers delivered as part of the scientific and practical seminar “School of Serbian Studies” (2019-2021), which examine the most significant features of Serbian culture and ways of its development. A significant part of the publication is devoted to the relations between Serbia and Russia. The collection is intended for philologists, historians, cultural scientists, as well as anyone interested in the Serbian language and Serbian culture.

The Influence of Particular Entrance Exam Score on Enrolment and Graduation at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies

The aim of the research was to determine if there was a difference in the entrance exam scores between the candidates who enrolled and those who did not at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies (UCIPS), as well as between the graduates and non-graduates. Analysing the data from 1657 candidates who participated in the UCIPS entrance exam, the study categorizes candidates based on gender, entrance exam results, and graduation. The research focuses on High School Success (HSS), and three components of the entrance exam: Serbian Language Test (SLT), General Knowledge Test (GKT), and Basic Physical Abilities (BPA). To examine the impact of all variables, the study applied an independent t-test to compare group differences, followed by effect size calculations. The findings reveal that candidates who enrolled, regardless of gender, exhibited significantly higher scores and larger effect sizes in all exam segments compared to those who did not enrol. Additionally, graduates exhibited higher performance in HSS, SLT, and GKT, which may indicate the predictive value of these components for academic success. Conversely, no significant difference was found in BPA scores between graduates and non-graduates, underscoring its unique eliminatory role in the selection process, as BPA is the only test with an eliminatory threshold. The study also emphasizes the role of continuous learning, perseverance, and motivation, as reflected in higher entrance exam scores, in influencing academic achievement. The research suggests that implementing a minimum score threshold for various exam components could potentially enhance learning efficiency and graduation rates at the UCIPS.

Anastasia Gavrilovici’s Poetry in Serbian Language: Poetic and Intertextual Relations

The paper on the poetry of Romanian poet Anastasia Gavrilovici, translated into Serbian by Marija Nenadić, discusses her poetic positioning in relation to Serbian literature and the broader European context. It begins by outlining the fundamental principles of her poetics, based on relevant literature on her poetry in Romanian and English. Then, Anastasia Gavrilovici’s poetry is compared to that of Czech classic Ivan Blatný and Polish Nobel laureate Wisława Szymborska. Finally, the paper concludes that her poetry can also be compared to that of the Serbian poets of her generation (Milica Špadijer, Irena Plaović, Milica Drndarević, Katarina Pantović). The goal of the paper is to offer interpretative possibilities for Gavrilović’s poetry in Serbian and within the frameworks of Serbian literary studies through comparative analysis.

Figurative language of segregation: the phenomenon of “two schools under one roof”

Post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a society in which ethno-nationalist rhetoric and war memories permeate public discourse. This paper investigates the use of metaphors in media texts written in English and the Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian language on the topic of ‘two schools under one roof’. Writing about this peculiar construct within the country’s educational system tackles socio-political factors and their effects on the provision of primary and second-ary education. We describe how metaphors as cognitive devices are used to portray educational developments in this post-conflict country and the effects of their use on recipients. The paper points out cases of deliberate metaphor use, which influences recipients’ perspectives on the topic at hand. Keywords: conceptual metaphor; deliberate metaphor; segregation; MIPVU.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Content Validity of the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life Survey in Serbia

This study aimed to adapt the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) survey for the Serbian language and culture, considering cultural variations in the quality of prison life. Following established guidelines, the researchers employed two approaches to assess content validity: a panel of prison research experts and focus groups with prisoners. Content validity indexes were calculated at both the item and scale levels. Terminology, phrasing, and sentence structure were adjusted, including changes from passive to active voice, to better reflect the realities of Serbian prisons. The final version achieved conceptual, semantic, idiomatic, and experiential equivalence with the original MQPL. Initial findings indicate that the adapted survey effectively captures prison-specific issues relevant to the contemporary Serbian context. The cultural adaption process reveals both similarities and differences between the Serbian penal system and those of more developed nations, influencing prisoners’ perceptions of their quality of life. Further validation with larger samples is needed to evaluate its psychometric properties.

Nationalism as an Unobvious Construct of Serbian Political Thinking in XIX–XX Century

Wars in former Yugoslavia diffused an opinion that Serbs are nationalists, and that attitude always characterized this nation. This article investigates, if the opinion is true or it is misuse. It is necessary, to ask questions about the sources of Serbian nationalism; both – on the historical level, as well as on the linguistic level. Which words are used in Serbian language for describing nation, and the other terms related to it? When could the Serbian nationalism originated, and when in the Serbian politics appeared the word nationalism? In pertain to the subject, the article investigates three periods: XIX century; The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and the Tito’s Yugoslavia until it’s disintegration.

Comparative description of lexical systems (on the material of the Serbian-Russian dictionary)

The article deals with the elements of the lexical systems of the Serbian and Russian languages in the framework of a comparative project on lexicology, one of the goals of which is to compile a modern large Serbian-Russian dictionary. Definitions of the vocabulary is based on the translation equivalence, i. e. the denotative identity of lexemes, and it is based, apart from lexical, on derivational and grammatical semantics where possible; pragmatic and cognitive-discursive component, manifested in syntagmatic realizations of lexemes, is also taken into account. The currently processed lexical corpus provides a sample for revealing some areas and peculiarities of lexical system structuring in the Serbian language in comparison with the Russian one. The vocabulary representing linguistic contrasts is grouped according to derivational-structural and lexical-grammatical criteria, relying on its formal-explicit markers. The following lexical types were found to be difficult to represent in the dictionary: specific derivational structures; diminutive word forms (nouns, adjectives, verbs), having an access to the pragmatic and discursive level; names with the semantics of feature carriers, including feminatives; adverbial syntagms, etc. In the future it is planned to compare formally equivalent multi-valued lexemes at the level of their meaning structure.

Validation of Serbian version of the LittlEARS® Early Speech Production Questionnaire for the assessment of early language development in typically developing children.

The LittlEARS® Early Speech Production Questionnaire (LEESPQ) was developed to provide professionals with valuable information about children's earliest language development and has been successfully validated in several languages. This study aimed to validate the Serbian version of the LEESPQ in typically developing children and compare the results with validation studies in other languages. The English version of the LEESPQ was back-translated into Serbian. Parents completed the questionnaire in paper or electronic form either during the visit to the paediatric clinic or through personal contact. A total of 206 completed questionnaires were collected. Standardized expected values were calculated using a second-order polynomial model for children up to 18 months of age to create a norm curve for the Serbian language. The results were then used to determine confidence intervals, with the lower limit being the critical limit for typical speech-language development. Finally, the results were compared with German and Canadian English developmental norms. The Serbian LEESPQ version showed high homogeneity (r = .622) and internal consistency (α = .882), indicating that it almost exclusively measures speech production ability. No significant difference in total score was found between male and female infants (U = 4429.500, p = .090), so it can be considered a gender-independent questionnaire. The results of the comparison between Serbian and German (U = 645.500, p = .673) and Serbian and English norm curves (U = 652.000, p = .725) show that the LEESPQ can be applied to different population groups, regardless of linguistic, cultural or sociological differences. The LEESPQ is a valid, age-dependent and gender-independent questionnaire suitable for assessing early speech development in children aged from birth to 18 months.

Sociodemographic Factors and Students’ Attitudes towards Integrated Instruction

The primary objective of the study was to ascertain the attitudes of final-year students in undergraduate academic and master’s academic studies at the University of Nis Faculty of Sport and Physical Education and the University of Pristina - Kosovska Mitrovica Teacher Education Faculty in Prizren - Leposavic toward the possibilities of integrating the learning contents of the subjects Serbian Language and Physical Education. The study aims to investigate views about integrated instruction and the incorporation of Serbian Language and Physical Education in the integrative curriculum based on several demographic criteria such as gender, age, faculty major, overall grade point average, and socioeconomic status. The research was conducted on a sample of 179 students. Descriptive techniques were used to determine the level of expression of basic variables, while a Linear Regression Model was employed for statistical inference testing of established hypothesis. The results obtained indicate a statistically significant correlation between attitudes towards integrated instruction and the incorporation of the Serbian Language in the integrative curriculum in relation to sociodemographic characteristics (Hypothesis 1 and 2). However, no statistically significant associations were found for attitudes towards the incorporation of Physical Education in the integrative curriculum concerning sociodemographic variables (Hypothesis 3).

THE SERBIAN LANGUAGE IN THE EYES OF FOREIGNERS: ANALYSIS OF THE MOST COMMON DOUBTS OF LEARNERS ON THE SOCIAL PLATFORM REDDIT

The subject of this paper is the analysis of posts on Reddit about foreigners’ confusions related to learning Serbian as a foreign language. The aim of the research is to clarify the most common questions of foreigners who are interested in learning the Serbian language. A descriptive method and a method of theoretical analysis with the technique of content analysis have been used in the paper. The analysis of research results has shown that there has been a lot of interest among foreigners for learning Serbian as a foreign language. The most common questions related to mastering the Serbian language include: 1. issues of integration into the social community (solving administrative problems, studying and working, finding friends, finding information about the character and mentality of the Serbian people, getting to know the culture and history of the Serbian people, life in Serbia without knowing the Serbian language, etc.), 2. issues of finding language learning modalities (accredited study centers, private schools, online platforms, private lessons), 3. issues of learning Serbian as a foreign language (difficulty in learning, time needed to master the language, differences between the eastern and western variants of the language), 4. issues of finding and using appropriate teaching tools (textbooks, language learning apps, podcasts, adapted folk and art texts, music, films and TV shows with foreign language translation, flash cards, illustrations and tables) and 5. the issue of mastering certain grammatical and lexical contents (Cyrillic, cases, difference between perfective and imperfective verbs, getting to know colloquial expressions).

THE INCREASING UNJUSTIFIABLE PRESENCE AND USE OF ANGLICISMS IN “YOUTH VIBES”

The paper deals with the cultural issue of the increasingly widespread use of lexis imported from English in Serbian daily news reports, which has given way to the lexical style of the Anglo-Serbian language variety. Using techniques of selective contrastive analysis of com- paring microlinguistic elements, the paper explores the use of these items and their adequate counterparts in the Serbian language. The analysis deals with news articles published in 2023 by Youth Vibes, a news portal aimed at a younger audience. The obtained results illustrate how some word forms imported from English could have been avoided and substituted by translation equivalents and correspondents that are much more acceptable as lexis of the standard Serbian language. The results also show that most often a correspondent can be found in Serbian rather than a translation equivalent, the relationship implying that the anglicisms that have been iso- lated due to their falling into this category are inessential when referring to particular concepts.

IMPOLITENESS IN ONLINE DISCOURSE: ANALYSIS OF READER COMMENTS ON SERBIAN NEWS SITE

Online discourse represents an important part of human communication. When ex- pressing their opinions in an online environment, people are empowered to be more direct, often without considering other people’s face. In certain situations, they may even be offensive or impolite. The focus of this study is the manifestation of impoliteness in reader comments on Serbian news sites. The study adopts Bousfield’s (2008) extended framework of Culpeper’s model of impoliteness strategies (1996, 2005) in order to examine and classify different manifestations of impoliteness. It relies on the analysis of a small specialized corpus which consists of the data collected from reader comments on Serbian online news articles related to Novak Đoković being denied entry into Australia in January 2022 due to the men’s number one tennis player not being vaccinated, which was one of the most vigorously debated topics in both mass media and social media in Serbia amid the coronavirus pandemic. The data were analyzed qualitatively. This study reflects how Serbian language users engage in impolite communicative behavior by identifying the most common impoliteness strategies, as well as their functions, and indicating distinctive features of Serbian impolite online discourse.

Serbian Version of the eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ): Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Validation Study Among Primary Health Care Users.

As digital health services are increasingly developing and becoming more interactive in Serbia, a comprehensive instrument for measuring eHealth literacy (EHL) is needed. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and investigate the psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ); to evaluate EHL in the population of primary health care (PHC) users in Serbia; and to explore factors associated with their EHL. The validation study was conducted in 8 PHC centers in the territory of the Mačva district in Western Serbia. A stratified sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample. The Translation Integrity Procedure was followed to adapt the questionnaire to the Serbian language. The psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the eHLQ were analyzed through the examination of factorial structure, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Descriptive statistics were calculated to determine participant characteristics. Differences between groups were tested by the 2-tailed Students t test and ANOVA. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to determine factors related to EHL. A total of 475 PHC users were enrolled. The mean age was 51.0 (SD 17.3; range 19-94) years, and most participants were female (328/475, 69.1%). Confirmatory factor analysis validated the 7-factor structure of the questionnaire. Values for incremental fit index (0.96) and comparative fit index (0.95) were above the cutoff of ≥0.95. The root mean square error of approximation value of 0.05 was below the suggested value of ≤0.06. Cronbach α of the entire scale was 0.95, indicating excellent scale reliability, with Cronbach α ranging from 0.81 to 0.90 for domains. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.63 to 0.82, indicating moderate to good test-retest reliability. The highest EHL mean scores were obtained for the understanding of health concepts and language (mean 2.86, SD 0.32) and feel safe and in control (mean 2.89, SD 0.33) domains. Statistically significant differences (all P<.05) for all 7 eHLQ scores were observed for age, education, perceived material status, perceived health status, searching for health information on the internet, and occupation (except domain 4). In multivariable regression models, searching for health information on the internet and being aged younger than 65 years were associated with higher values of all domain scores except the domain feel safe and in control for variable age. This study demonstrates that the Serbian version of the eHLQ can be a useful tool in the measurement of EHL and in the planning of digital health interventions at the population and individual level due to its strong psychometric properties in the Serbian context.

The big five inventory (BFI-2): Psychometric properties and validation in Serbian language

The Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2), as a comprehensive measure encompassing the Big Five domains and their facets, has undergone numerous validations in various languages. To validate a Serbian adaptation of the BFI-2, data from two samples, comprising a total of 1016 adult participants, along with a US sample (N = 1000), were utilized. The originally proposed factor structure of Serbian adaptation of the BFI-2 was confirmed, along with partial scalar invariance across Serbian and US samples. Convergent validity was established in relation to an alternative Big Five measure, as well as six-factor and seven-factor models. Criterion validity was confirmed through correlations with various behavior, cognitive, and emotional indicators. These findings contribute to evidence supporting the cross-cultural validity of BFI-2.

Translation and Validation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Surgery Survey in Serbian.

The aim of this study was to translate the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Surgery Survey into the Serbian language to evaluate the test-retest reliability and validity. The study included 49 consecutive patients between 12 and 18 years old with rhinologic symptoms. Patients were given a paper survey to complete along with a link to complete the online survey within the same day. The study was conducted at the University Children's Hospital Clinic for Pulmonology and Allergology between January 2023 and March 2023. Responses between the paper and online survey were compared and regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship. Internal reliability and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's α coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient. All data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 29.0. Pearson correlation coefficient between the paper and online survey was very high and statistically significant (r = 0.999; P < .001). Each item had a high correlation (0.993-1.000), where the lowest correlation coefficient was obtained from question 2 (0.993). Average scores in each item differed slightly for only item 2 (mean difference = -0.041), but not to the level of statistical significance. Bland-Altman plot indicated no proportional bias between the 2 versions. Linear regression analysis suggested a high level of agreement between the 2 versions (slope = 1.00, R 2 = 0.999). The survey is a useful questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life in patients with rhinologic symptoms. The high correlation between the paper and online survey shows the reliability of the questionnaire regardless of administration modality.

SERBIAN MUSIC CRITICISM OF THE INTERWAR PERIOD: TEXTS ABOUT MUSIC BY DANICА KRSTIĆ IN THE MAGAZINE MUZIČKI GLASNIK

The paper analyzes the texts of Danica Krstić (1873–1966) in the magazine Muzički glasnik, published in 1922 in Belgrade. Danica Krstić is known to the professional public as one of the first piano teachers at the Serbian Music School (from 1903 to 1940) and as the author of the first piano textbook in the Serbian language, Piano School (1911). However, few people know the fact that she was also a music critic in the magazine Muzički glasnik. Namely, she gave two critical reviews of the concerts of young pianists - Ćiril Ličar and Vera Lotar. In both articles, the author used the same method - it is an analytical presentation of the works that are in the repertoire, while the emphasis is on the performing skills of the mentioned artists. This fact is not surprising, given that the author was professionally oriented towards performing. The paper will also discuss the historical development and importance of music criticism in Serbia in the period between the two World Wars. The historical processes through which music criticism in our region went through, as well as the methods of changes in the critical model in the period between the two World Wars, will be pointed out. It will also be discussed about the magazine Muzički glasnik in the context of selected articles, but also the entire magazine as one of the most important in the domestic area in the mentioned time frame. The goal is to highlight the diverse professional involvement of Danica Krstić and her role in the process of developing musical culture and education in Belgrade and Serbia at the beginning of the 20th century. The paper uses the method of theoretical analysis as well as an analytical-musicological view of the concert life of the Serbian capital.

Effects of formant peak flattening on vowel perception: A larger-scale web-based experiment

Ito et al. reported that suppressing the first or the second formant in Japanese synthesized vowels did not importantly change listener perception. However, quantitative analyses of data collected in the English (Nenadić et al., 2020) and the Serbian language (Nenadić et al., 2023) have shown that formant suppression increases response entropy between participants (i.e., decreases agreement in vowel identity). Previous studies never tested more than fifteen participants, but it was noted that certain listeners gave different responses to a manipulated synthesized vowel in comparison to its original version more often than others. We tested 118 native monolingual speakers of Serbian language (87% female, 13% male; age 18 to 44, M = 21.07, SD = 4.71) in an online replication of the experiment. The results again show that listeners agree less about vowel identity for stimuli with suppressed formants. Certain listeners again tended to change their response to the manipulated version of the vowel more often than others. Importantly, this tendency did not correlate with their mean response latency. We discuss possible causes for these findings, including differences in listener strategies and time requirements of a more careful processing of the incoming signal.

A New Scale for Rating Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Denture Wearers.

When carrying out prosthetic rehabilitation of edentulous and partially edentulous patients, great attention is paid to the personal attitude of the patients, their satisfaction with oral health and psychosocial interaction due to tooth loss, as well as the treatment of the resulting disorders. This attention has led to the development of various instruments for examining the quality of life related to oral health. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable instrument in the Serbian language suitable for measuring oral health-related quality of life in patients who have been rehabilitated with complete or partial dentures. Мaterials and Methods: The study was unicentric and cross-sectional, and assessed the reliability and validity of a newly developed instrument for measuring the oral health-related quality of life in denture wearers (OHRQoL-DW). It was conducted on a sample of 200 adults from Serbia, wearers of various types of dentures, with a mean age 66.9 ± 10.3 years and male/female ratio of 86/114 (43%/57%). The definitive version of the OHRQoL-DW scale with 28 items showed very good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha = 0.938. Good temporal stability of the questionnaire was demonstrated, and satisfactory results were obtained for divergent and convergent validity tests. Exploratory factorial analysis revealed four domains of oral health-related quality of life in denture wearers: physical, psychosocial, environmental and aesthetic. The OHRQoL-DW scale is a reliable and valid generic instrument for measuring the oral health-related quality of life in patients wearing dentures, which is one of the most important outcomes of oral health in prosthetic treatment.

The Serbian Sign Language Alphabet: A Unique Authentic Dataset of Letter Sign Gestures

Language barriers and the communication difficulties of individuals with developmental disabilities are two major causes of communication problems that societies worldwide encounter. A particularly challenging group is hearing-impaired people who have difficulties with communication, reading, writing, learning, and social interactions, which have a substantial impact on their quality of life. This article focuses on detailing a Serbian Sign Language alphabet database and the method for creating it in order to provide a foundation for answering the various societal challenges of persons who use the Serbian language. In front of a computer camera, 41 people performed Serbian Sign Language sign movements that replicated the Serbian alphabet for this study’s aims. Hand and body key points were identified using the recorded video clips, and the numerical values of the identified key points were then stored in a database for further processing. In total, 8.346 video clips of people making recognized hand gestures were gathered, processed, classed, and archived. This paper provides a thorough technique that may be applied to comparable tasks and details the process of constructing a dataset based on Serbian Sign Language alphabet signs. This dataset was created using custom-made Python 3.11 software. Data regarding dynamic video clips that capture entire subject movement were incorporated into this dataset to fill in the gaps in other similar efforts based on static photographs. Thus, the purpose of this investigation is to employ innovative technology to support the community of hearing-impaired people in areas such as general inclusion, education, communication, and empowerment.