Ijekavian

Ijekavian is a term used in South Slavic linguistics to describe one of the reflex systems for the historical Slavic vowel yat (often written as jat). In Ijekavian varieties, the yat reflex typically appears as the diphthongs “ije” or “je” in many lexical items, rather than the single vowels found in other reflex systems. The name derives from the prominent presence of the “ije/je” sequence in words that descended from yat.

Ijekavian is contrasted with Ikavian, where yat generally yields the vowel /i/, and with Ekavian, where yat yields /e/. These three reflex patterns form the traditional tripartite classification of dialectal and standard varieties of Serbo-Croatian, though real speech can show gradient or mixed patterns. The distinction between Ijekavian and Jekavian is sometimes described in terms of the same yat reflex, with Ijekavian highlighting the ij-e sequence and Jekavian focusing on the je sequence; in modern practice, many sources treat Ijekavian as including a range of yat realizations that produce “ije” or “je” in standard forms.

Geographically, Ijekavian is the basis for the standard varieties of Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin. In Serbian, Ekavian and Ikavian are more dominant in standard usage, though Ijekavian forms occur in certain dialects and among speakers influenced by neighboring Croatian or Bosnian speech. The distribution of Ijekavian varieties reflects historical settlement, language contact, and standardization processes in the region.

Notable features associated with Ijekavian include the widespread use of “ije” sequences in everyday vocabulary and the prominence of yat reflexes in standard orthography and education within its language codes. See also yat and Serbo-Croatian phonology for related topics.