SerbianCroatian

Serbo-Croatian, sometimes referred to as Serbian-Croatian or SerbianCroatian, is a South Slavic pluricentric language that served as the standard language in the former Yugoslavia for Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, and Montenegrins. It comprises several closely related standard varieties that are now typically treated as four languages: Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin. The standard form is based on the Shtokavian dialect and shares a common grammar and much of the core vocabulary, with regional differences shaping pronunciation, lexical preferences, and orthographic conventions.

In terms of writing systems, Serbian historically uses both Cyrillic and Latin scripts; Croatian and Montenegrin primarily use Latin script; Bosnian uses both. Phonological and lexical differences among the standard varieties reflect national and regional preferences, such as Ekavian versus Ijekavian pronunciation and varying vocabulary. The Serbo-Croatian standard developed through 19th- and 20th-century linguistic reforms and became the principal literary and administrative language of Yugoslavia.

Since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the four standard varieties have increasingly been treated as separate national languages, though they remain largely mutually intelligible and share a substantial common core of grammar and lexicon. Classification debates continue among linguists: some view Serbo-Croatian as a single macro-language with four standard varieties, while others describe it as four distinct languages that arise from a common linguistic heritage. The term persists in historical and linguistic contexts, while contemporary usage typically names Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, or Montenegrin.