srpskom

Srpskom is the locative and dative singular form of the Serbian adjective srpski, meaning “Serbian.” As an attributive adjective, srpski describes things related to Serbia, its language, people, or culture. The base adjective has full inflection: masculine srpski, feminine srpska, neuter srpsko; corresponding forms include srpskog (genitive), srpskom (dative/locative), and srpskim (instrumental). The form srpskom appears after prepositions that govern the dative or locative cases, most commonly in phrases such as u srpskom jeziku or na srpskom jeziku, meaning “in Serbian language” or “in Serbian.”

Etymology and usage: srpski derives from the ethnonym Srbi (Serbs) with the adjectival suffix -ski, a common pattern for forming national or ethnolinguistic adjectives in Slavic languages. The word functions across nouns of different genders and is used to signal Serbian nationality, language, culture, or characteristics in various grammatical contexts.

Writing system and standardization: Serbian is written in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts. The adjective srpski and its forms are used in either script, with the appropriate spelling applied to the respective noun. The Serbian language is standardized by linguistic institutes and national academies in the region, with governance of standard usage and terminology in education, media, and official communication.

Dialect and classification: Serbian is a South Slavic language, part of the broader Serbo-Croatian continuum. Its standard form is based on the Shtokavian core, with regional phonological variants such as Ekavian and Ijekavian pronunciations appearing in dialects. The form srpskom remains a common, neutral descriptor across these varieties.