page_title: Montenegrin language
section_title: Linguistic considerations
hierarchical_section_title: Montenegrin language / Linguistic considerations
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Shtokavian dialects in Montenegro. &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Zeta-Raška dialect&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Eastern Herzegovinian dialect
context_page_description: Montenegrin is the normative variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Montenegrins and is the official language of Montenegro. Montenegrin is based on the most widespread dialect of Serbo-Croatian, Shtokavian, more specifically on Eastern Herzegovinian, which is also the basis of Standard Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian.
  Montenegro's language has historically and traditionally been called either Montenegrin, "Our language", or Serbian. The idea of a standardized Montenegrin standard language separate from Serbian appeared in the 1990s during the breakup of Yugoslavia, through proponents of Montenegrin independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegrin became the official language of Montenegro with the ratification of a new constitution on 22 October 2007.
  The Montenegrin standard is still emerging. Its orthography was established on 10 July 2009 with the addition of two letters to the alphabet. Their usage remained controversial and they achieved only limited public acceptance, along with some proposed alternative spellings.
context_section_description: Montenegrins speak Shtokavian subdialects of Serbo-Croatian, some of which are shared with the neighbouring Slavic nations:
   Eastern Herzegovinian dialect (in the west and northwest).
   Zeta-Raška dialect (spoken in the rest of the country).
caption: Shtokavian subdialects in Montenegro.
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