ˈBosnian

/ ˈbɒznɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Bosnia or its inhabitants

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Bosnia
2. the language spoken in Bosnia-Herzegovina, formerly regarded as a dialect of Serbo-Croatian

Usage

The Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian languages were regarded as dialects of Serbo-Croat before the three countries emerged as independent states in the 1990s. Some linguists still refer to a single Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BHS) language; however, the more common practice is to treat Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian as separate languages, even though they are mutually intelligible. Many Montenegrins refer to their language as 'Serbian', though there is also a movement to rename it 'Montenegrin'. The terms Serbo-Croat and Serbo-Croatian are no longer commonly used, though they are preserved in this dictionary when historically correct, such as the derivation of a word from Serbo-Croat before Bosnia separated from Yugoslavia.