Dokumentalna

Dokumentalna is an adjective used in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, to denote content that is documentary or factual in nature. It is the feminine singular nominative form; the corresponding masculine and neuter forms are dokumentalni and dokumentalno, respectively. This adjective typically accompanies feminine nouns to describe documentary material, for example dokumentalna fotografija (documentary photography) or dokumentarna serija (documentary series). The masculine form is used with masculine nouns, as in dokumentalni film (documentary film).

In practice, the term is applied to non-fiction works that aim to record real events, people, and places with an emphasis on factual representation rather than fictional narrative. In film and television, dokumentalna or dokumentarna approaches describe documentary-style productions, while in photography and journalism the term highlights a commitment to real-world subject matter and evidence-based depiction.

Etymology: dokumentalna derives from the root dokument- with standard Slavic adjectival endings. The masculine and neuter forms are dokumentalni and dokumentalno. Although the English loanword documentary is understood in many contexts, the native forms dokumentalna, dokumentarni, and dokumentalno remain the normative terms in formal usage.

See also: documentary film, documentary photography, non-fiction, journalism, archival research.

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