macedonian

Macedonian can refer to the ethnic group or the language associated with the country of North Macedonia, as well as to things connected with the geographic region of Macedonia in the Balkans.

The Macedonian language is a South Slavic language spoken mainly in North Macedonia and by communities in neighboring countries and diaspora communities worldwide. It is the official language of North Macedonia and is used in education, government, media, and daily communication. The language is written in the Cyrillic script and has 31 letters. Standard Macedonian was codified in the mid-20th century, drawing on central and western dialects, with the first modern orthography published around 1945. A defining feature of Macedonian is the postposed definite article, which attaches to the end of nouns (for example, книга becomes книгата “the book”). It also has a system of verb aspects and a rich set of pronouns and prepositions.

There are several dialect groups within Macedonian, including central, western, eastern, and northern varieties. Despite regional variation, standard Macedonian provides a unified written form used in schools, media, literature, and official communication. The region of Macedonia spans parts of several Balkan states, but the modern nation most closely associated with the language is the Republic of North Macedonia, which emerged as an independent state in 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The Macedonian language is a central element of national identity and culture for its speakers, and it remains a key marker of community in the North Macedonian state and among the diaspora.