Who are Croats? (Based on modern researchers of "CROAT" ethnicity)

Taken from http://govori.tripod.com/croats.htm

In Austro-Hungarian statistical records, according to Adolf Fiker, Serbs (of all three faiths, according to the statistics) made up 88.9% of Dalmatia, with Albanians composing, 0.2% and Italians the rest. Many "Croats," such as those in Herzegovina and around Dubrovnik and all of Dalmatia are the descendants of Serb converts to Catholicism by Franciscan monks. The Croats have been the most vile enemies of the Serbs in our history. The following is a list of Croatian academics who affirm that contemporary "Croatian language" is simply a usurped form of Serbian. The original Croatian language was the kaykavian-chakavian idiom now marginalized as a dialect, but today in Croatia the shtokavian dialect is being used as the official language because most Croats do not speak kaykavian-chakavian (yet only 20% do). The information below will show that kaykavian-chakavian is being deliberately marginalized to increase the number of "Croats" by falsely using Catholicism as an identifying marker of "Croatianness".

QUOTE #1:
"Hrvati uvedoše i sami jezik štokavski,akoprem ih je to stalo i stoji neizmjernotruda jer i od svagdašnjeg domaćeg govora daleko im je doći". (Vežić, Neven, 1855; Milosavljević, II 28)

QUOTE #2:
"Oni se nadaju odoljeti ako pravopis igramatiku budemo imali odijeljenu od srbske"Miškatović piše Jagiću (Jagić, Spomeni mojega života, 62).

QUOTE #3:
"pravi Hrvati preko Kupe stanuju". (Danica 1847, hrvatski pisac A. Tkalčević)

QUOTE #4:
"hrvaština stupiv preko Save, a poglavitopreko Kupe počima..." (Ivan Kukuljević Arhiv, IX, 318; Đeric 158)

QUOTE #5:
"Mislim da smo već na dobrom putu.Svi su vrlo svjesni te problematike,od onih starijih pa do danas. Mi smonekakva najmlađa generacija. A kadsmo toga svi svjesni, onda bi doistatrebalo, kao što je Adam rekao, uvestikajkavski u škole kao hrvatski materinskijezik. Javna je tajna koje su svi našiakademici itekako svjesni da je hrvatskistandard kojeg sada imamo zapravo velikimdijelom srpska inačica Vukovoga rječnika.Srbi se zezaju i često znam od njih čuti:"Ukrali ste nam jezik i još ste ga uništili".To se kao ne smije reći, a to svi znaju." (Vid Balog Međimurskim Novinama 04.02.2004)

QUOTE #6:
"U Dubrovniku, ako ne odpočetka, a ono od pamtivjeka,govorilo se srpski, govorilokako od pučana tako od vlastele;kako kod kuće tako u javnom životu.Jeste istina da su zapisnici raznihvijeća vodili latinski, a prilika jetakođe da pod knezovima mletačkim,njih radi, na vijećima se poneštoraspravljalo i mletačkim i kojekakvimgovorom. Nego u općini od mletakaoslobođenoj, srpski je raspravni jezik" (Natko Nodilo Rad, 65, 117)
Below is an article by Andrej Urem, a Croat and a kaykavian-chakavian revivavalist and academic. He correctly concurs that the standard language of contemporary Croatia is Serbian and not Croatian and urges for a revival and demarginalization of cakavski-kajkavski into the standard language. The article is also anti-Serbian:

QUOTE #7:
"Krajem XV. stoljeća uslijedila je velika tragedijahrvatskog naroda. Čakavski govor potisnut je u uskopriobalno područje, Kvarner i Istru, dok je novo vlaško stanovništvo, pristiglo s osmanlijskim osvajačima, popunilo'očišćen' prostor, donijevši sa sobom svoju tradiciju i jezik (štokavštinu). Značajka tog nametnutog nam jezika je (i)jekavskiizgovor i specifican rječnik s obiljem turcizama,te preko turskog jezika preuzete arapske i perzijskeriječi. U tom smislu suvremeni književni jezik imamanje-više neprekinutu tradiciju još od XVI stoljeća,kada Dubrovčani razvijaju bogatu književnost na štokavskomnarječju ijekavskog izgovora, koji se potom nameće iHrvatima pretežno ikavskog izgovora. Ujednačavanju hrvatskog književnog jezika na štokavskom narječjumnogo doprinose franjevci koji su djelovali u Dalmaciji,Bosni i Slavoniji te već od polovice XVIII. stoljeća imaju svoj jezični standard. Tek nastojanjem Ilirskog pokreta ujedinjuju se svi Hrvati u jedan književni jezik štokavskog tipa. Lingvisticko oblikovanje hrvatskog književnog jezikau XIX. stoljeću, u znaku je zagrebačke jezikoslovneškole. 'Zasluge' i nastojanja Vuka S. Karadžica nagrađenesu 1861. kada je izabran za počasnog građanina grada Zagrebai Požeške županije, čak je i biskup J.J. Strossmayer donirao1000 forinti za tiskanje Vukovih još neizdanih spisa. Taj jezik (štokavski), u osnovi vukovski nije biodarovan već usvojen hrvatskom pomirljivošću i naivnošću.Istovremeno, potpomognut politikom plemenskog 'rvatstva',stvorio je neprirodnog blizanca – srpskog doppelgangera. Čakavica je uzmicala, povlačila se; izvorni jezik tisućljetnetradicije gubio je već svaku bitku i smesturan u narječjepadao je u zaborav. Međutim, zastor još nije pao, moć pamćenja je moć života. Čakavica se grijala uz domaće kameno ognjišće, skritotinjala pod pepelom i iskra se nije nikad ugasila. Moždaju je upravo to spasilo: iskonska ljubav za našu domaću besdu i – strpljenje, ona slabasna nada da sve na koncuprođe. Rano je veseliti se, jer bilo bi bolje da je do kraja pokrije zaborav, nego da se uruči na razinu neukusnihfestivalskih blesavljenja ili da postane 'oružje i stigma'lokalnog revolta.

Andrej UremU ISKONU GLAGOLJICEDec 06, 04
http://www.croatianworld.net/CROWNframes.htm?http://www.croatianworld.net/Letters/4888.htm

Below is an article by Tomislav Sunić, a writer and former US professor in political science, a Croat and a kaykavian-chakavian revivalist and academic. He also correctly concurs that the standard language of contemporary Croatia is Serbian and not Croatian and urges for a revival and demarginalization of chakavian-kaykavian into the standard language:

QUOTE #8:
The hybrid "Serbo-Croatian"language was not only an oxymoron - it was primarilya political ploy for bringing two different peoples into a unitary unnatural whole. With the establishment of the new stateof Croatia in 1991, there was the public outcry to purify theCroatian language of all Serbian words, and to show the worldCroatian distinctiveness - often at the expense of doctoring upnew and bizarre words. After the Passion Play of Bleiburg in 1945, the Yugo-communist commissars, enacted decrees that would thoroughly emasculatethe linguistic treasure trove of the Croatian language. Therooted Croatian language was considered "counterrevolutionary." Moreover, the usage of some popular regional idioms and expressions from the cakavski or the kaikavski dialects, was viewed asprovincial, "hickish," or at best, primitive. Meanwhile thetitophile intelligentsia, in search of careers, started topopularize the new hybrid of "Serbo-Croatian language." In 1886 one unitary language was also designed for citizens of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Following the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Austrian authorities, an attempt was madeto create a common language for the three different peoplesand cultures. This attempt soon came to a pitiful end. Likewise,there is a tendency today, encouraged also by the internationalcommunity, to introduce the "Bosnian language." Most likely,this centralistic attempt will also fail. The Croatian language is the hallmark of Croatian nationalidentity; it has to be nurtured at all cost, notably byintroducing into its vocabulary idioms and expressions fromthe local cakavski and kajkavski dialects. This "return tothe roots" is certainly much more expedient than resorting to some new words, i.e. neologisms which often leave a badpolitical aftertaste among domestic and foreign listenersand interlocutors. Tomislav Sunicwriter and former US professor in political science

http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/387/10947_croatia.html

Below is an article from an on-line encyclopedia which states that kaykavian-chakavian was the standard dialect of Croatia until the 15 century. However, "shtokavian" was used only and constantly by Serbs from before the 15th century and long after:

QUOTE #9:
Čakavsko narječje je do turske najezde u 15. stoljeću pokrivaloveliko područje... Hrvatske, Like, dijela zapadne Bosne, Dalmacijei praktički sve otoke. U 14. i 15. stoljeću se snažno afirmiraočakavski kao hrvatski književni jezik. Nesporno je da je prvicjeloviti spis «Vatikanski hrvatski molitvenik», nastao oko1380-1400 u Dubrovniku kao prijepis s čakavskoga izvornika.

Source:
http://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrvatski_jezik
The Baška Tablet is the oldest document written in Croatian language. It dates from the 1100s and one can clearly see that it is in the chakavian idiom:

QUOTE #10:
AZ V' IME OTCA I S(I)NA I SVETAGO DUHA AZ' OPAT' DR'ZhIHA PISAH SE O LEDNINE JuZhE DA Z'V'NIM(I)R KRAL' HR'VAT'SKI V' DNI SVOE V' SVETUJu LUCIJu I SVEDOCI MI ZhUPAN' DESIMIRA KR'BAVE MARTIN' V L(I)CE PRB'NEBZhA S' POSL' VIN(0)DOLE JaK(O)V' V OTOCE DA IZhE TO POREChE KL'NI I BO(G) I *BI* AP(OSTO)LA I *G* EVANJELISTI I S(VE)TAJa LUCIJa AM(E)N' DA IZhE SDE ZhIVET MOLI ZA NE BOGA AZ OPAT' DBROVIT' Z' DAH' CREK'V' SIJu I SVOEJu BRATIJu S DEVETIJu V' DNI K'NEZA KOS'M'TA OBLAD AJuChAGO V'SU K'RAINU I BJeShE V' T' DNI M IKULA V' OTOCh'CI S' SVETUJu LUCIJu V' EDINO

Below is an article from istrianet.org – a Croatian website, which asserts that Istrian chakavian preserves the oldest Croatian words. This is obvious since shtokavian has been shown to be distinctly Serbian and thus non-Croatian since it came to be used by Croats in the last few hundred years at a time when large numbers of Catholic Serbs began being absorbed into the Croatian ethnios (see article on Bosnia and Herzegovina). The article incorrectly refers to chakavian-kaykavian as a "dialect". However, the article contradicts itself because a dialects of a language cannot contain more "original words" than the standard language. The fact that chakavian-kaykavian contain more original Croatian words than shtokavian makes it self-evident that shtokavian is not an authentic Croatian idiom. As has been shown it is a late borrowing from Serbian.

QUOTE #11:
The dictionary "Gonan po naše" (my language) is a collectionof more than 5,000 words collected from the picturesque Labincakavican dialect derived from the inhabitants of Istria whoreside between the two beautiful inlets of Plomin and Rasa.The inhabitants of Labin differ from the rest of Istria as theyspeak in in cakavica, like the people of Lindar, our islandsBrac, Trogir, and the inhabitants of Komize on the island of Vis. When speaking, they have a pronounced stress on the half vowelsof o and i, as well as using many archaic words from the Croatianlanguage which reveals that the people of Labin were numbered amongthe first slav inhabitants of Istria. Even today there are only a handful of writers in Labin who writein their own dialect, and among them first the most authentic and poetical are Zdenka Viskovic-Vukic and Daniel Nacinovic. Some oftheir poems have been published in the prologue of this dictionary,together with some other poems written in cakavica by poets from Labin and some emigre' authors One is to save many words from extinction which are disappearingtogether with the ancient trades, traditions, stratums of villagelife, and now with the exposure to the literary Croatian word. Thedictionary will stimulate the desire to keep and affirm cakavica notonly in everyday conversation, but as a strong and authentic mediumin creativity. Together with an improved knowledge about the valueof the language which has often been underrated, forbidden or asubject of derision and ridicule, it will encourage the self-confidenceof its use among the people of Labin. Source:
http://www.istrianet.org/istria/linguistics/istroslavo/gonan1sum-eng.htm
Below are samples of chakavian-kaykavian poetry written today by those who can speak the true Croat language. Compare its simmilarity with the language of the Baška Tablet and you will see an obvious continuity.

QUOTE #12:
PETRADA Eno mista, di ko god je radi,sa jednom nogomje u greb uliza...Svidok je pašarinda čovik ni bi lin!Za njega učinit,vajalo se spotit;spotit i umrit...Gledan jekako nimo priti,od kad su iz nje kavaduri utekli!Ostale su samo škajeod ožmarane facade,suze i kapi pota...Sad koze tuda skačedu,i guje lizedu,i dica trčedu,i ne razumidu;da, ko god je tamo radi,sa jednon nogonje u greb uliza...By:Zlatan JaksićSelca, island of BračVRIME OD ŠKOJA Šjoii Mariji iz StudeneZanamisto od škoja, kad bi se reklo da puše od Fara,ne bi se čovik obo vrimenu sa gušton razgovara.Kad bi se reklo Vitar od Vrbanjaparila bi mu snaga tri puta manja.I od Bogomojeparilo bi da puše priko voje.A od Pojicda duha stari Jakovic.Od Svete Nedijene bi se znalo ni di je;a Svirča, Vrisnika i Pitav- puno je molitav.Tako i ženska koju zovu Farkinja- koliko da je strankinja!I Farankahoće reć da se čovik oženi vanka.Pa i bodulicaka da je sirota - mulica.Ni Farkani najboja marka.Po guštu je samo Š k o j a r k a.Samo Škojarka vridi suha zIata,i to jon je onda imei prezimei kazata.By:Zlatan JaksićSelca, otok Brač OBID U PETRADISedi se na dvi stine,u glavi susuraju mine,a u rukan remine,i jida se na dicuda su zaboravili donit zlicu,i da ne znaju kazat novidati,a to bi tukalo znat u petradi;i neka se drugi put paricadubez tabaka doc u petradu. A sada odma da se gre u selo,i uz Podbrdje, senca skerci, kapu na celo!I neka se doma sve lipo pozdravi,a mater svakako da ono ne zaboravi.By:Zlatan JaksićSelca, otok Brač

If Croatia's borders were to be modified to include only those who retain the original Croatian language, Croatia would look like this. The rest of the lands are inhabitted by Serbs. See below...
This is the earliest source referring to Serbs OR Croats in modern day Croatia (Krajina: consisting of Banija, Kordun, Lika and Northern Dalmatia) and it suggests that all other LATER references to Croats instead of Serbs in this region are actually references to a Croatianized SERB population. Since the Chronicles mention Serbs in Lika in the 700s this suggests that the population was croatianized by Tomislav in the 10th century when he built the mighty empire described in DAI. It suggests that Tomislav's empire was mostly composed of conquered Serb land, as it contained lands described by Einhardt and quoted by Croat, Kukuljevic as being inhabited by Serbs. Here is the 19th century Croatian nobleman, historian and revivalist, Ivan Kukuljevic quoting "The Annals" of the Frankish King Einhardt who together with the Serbs and Croats, defeated the Avar Khanate. The document is from the 8th century:

QUOTE #13:
""Liudevitus Siscia civitate relicta,ad Sorabos, quae natio magnam Dalmatiepartem obtinere dicitur, fugiendo se contulit"(in latin) "Ljudevit (prince of Lower Pannonia 822)having left the city of Sisak, fled to the Serbs, people inhabiting the greater partof Dalmatia)". I. KukuljevicCodex diplomII, 148, p. 21.quoting:"The Annals of Einhardt" from the 8th century AD

ATTENTION READER:All the quotes which have been listed are those of academics of CROATIAN ethnicity. No Serb sources were used to prove that 4/5 of modern Croatia is of Serb ethnicity or that contemporary standard Croatian is a version of the Serbian language.