Editing Montenegrin language (section)

== Official status and speakers' preference ==
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = MontenegroLanguage2003.png
| image2            = MontenegroLanguage2011.PNG
| caption1          = Linguistic structure of Montenegro by settlements in 2003
| caption2          = Linguistic structure of Montenegro by settlements in 2011; Montenegrin in red color, contrasted with Serbian in blue
| image3            = Linguistic map of Montenegro by municipality.svg
| caption3          = Linguistic structure of Montenegro by municipalities in 2011
}}

The language remains an ongoing issue in Montenegro.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8520466.stm |title=Montenegro embroiled in language row |access-date=2010-03-01 |date=2010-02-19 |work=[[BBC News Online]] }}</ref> In the census of 1991, the vast majority of Montenegrin citizens, 510,320 or 82.97%, declared themselves speakers of the then-official language: [[Serbo-Croatian]]. The earlier 1981 population census had also recorded a Serbo-Croatian-speaking majority. However, in the first Communist censuses, the vast majority of the population declared [[Serbian language|Serbian]] to be their native language. Such had also been the case with the first recorded population census in Montenegro, in 1909, when approximately 95% of the population of the [[Principality of Montenegro]] claimed Serbian as their native language. According to the [[Constitution of Montenegro]], the official language of the republic since 1992 has been 'Serbian language of the [[ijekavian]] dialect'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/?pdf=CDL(2005)096-e|title=Constitution of the Republic of Montenegro|quote=Article 9}}</ref>

After [[World War II]] and until 1992, the official language of Montenegro was Serbo-Croatian. Before that, in the previous Montenegrin realm, the language in use was called Serbian. Serbian was the officially used language in [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro]] until after the 1950 [[Novi Sad Agreement]],{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} and Serbo-Croatian was introduced into the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro in 1974. Organizations promoting Montenegrin as a distinct language have appeared since 2004 when the [[Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro]] regime introduced usage of the term. The new constitution, adopted on 19 October 2007, deemed Montenegrin to be the official language of Montenegro.

The most recent [[Demographic history of Montenegro|population census]] conducted in Montenegro was in 2011. According to it, 36.97% of the population (229,251) declared that their native language was Montenegrin, and 42.88% (265,895) declared it to be Serbian.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.monstat.org/userfiles/file/popis2011/saopstenje/saopstenje(1).pdf | title=Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011 | work=Monstat | access-date=July 12, 2011 | pages=10, 12}}</ref>

[[Mijat Šuković]], a prominent Montenegrin lawyer, wrote a draft version of [[Constitution of Montenegro|the constitution]] which passed the parliament's constitutional committee. Šuković suggested that Montenegrin be declared the official language of [[Montenegro]]. The [[Venice Commission]], an advisory body of the [[Council of Europe]], had a generally positive attitude towards the draft of the constitution but did not address the language and church issues, calling them symbolic. The new constitution ratified on 19 October 2007 declared Montenegrin to be the official language of Montenegro, but also gave some recognition to [[Albanian language|Albanian]], [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]], [[Croatian language|Croatian]], and Serbian.

The ruling [[Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro]] and [[Social Democratic Party of Montenegro]] stand for simply stating the country's official language to be Montenegrin, but this policy is opposed by the [[Socialist People's Party of Montenegro]], the [[People's Party (Montenegro)|People's Party]], the [[Democratic Serb Party]], the [[Bosniak Party of Montenegro|Bosniak Party]], and the [[Movement for Changes]] as well as by the [[Serb List (2006)|Serb List]] coalition led by the [[Serb People's Party (Montenegro)|Serb People's Party]]. A referendum was not needed, however, as a two-thirds majority of the parliament voted for the Constitution, including the [[Coalition for a European Montenegro|ruling coalition]], [[Movement for Changes]], the [[Bosniak Party|Bosniaks]], and the [[Liberal Party of Montenegro|Liberals]], while the pro-Serbian parties voted against it and the Albanian minority parties abstained from voting. The Constitution was ratified and adopted on 19 October 2007, recognizing Montenegrin as the official language of Montenegro.

According to a poll of 1,001 Montenegrin citizens conducted by [[Matica crnogorska]] in 2014, the linguistic demographics were:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pobjeda.me/2014/07/03/matica-crnogorska-crnogorskim-jezikom-govori-411-odsto-gradana-srpskim-391/#.VEJZhvmUca4 |title=Matica Crnogorska: Crnogorskim jezikom govori 41,1 odsto građana, a srpskim 39,1 |trans-title=Matica Crnogorska: Montenegrin is spoken by 41.1 percent of citizens, and Serbian by 39.1 percent |newspaper=[[Pobjeda]] |access-date=2015-01-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022053115/http://www.pobjeda.me/2014/07/03/matica-crnogorska-crnogorskim-jezikom-govori-411-odsto-gradana-srpskim-391/ |archive-date=2014-10-22 }}</ref>
{{flowlist|
* 41.1% Montenegrin
* 39.1% Serbian
* 12.3% Serbian, Montenegrin, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbo-Croatian (as one and the same language)
* 3.9% Serbo-Croatian
* 1.9% Bosnian
* 1.7% Croatian}}

According to an early 2017 poll, 42.6% of Montenegro's citizens have opted for Serbian as the name of their native language, while 37.9% for Montenegrin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/u-crnoj-gori-za-sfrj-zali-63-odsto-gradana-928817|title=U Crnoj Gori za SFRJ žali 63 odsto građana}}</ref> A declaration of Montenegrin as their native language is not confined to ethnic Montenegrins. According to the 2011 census, a proportion of other ethnic groups in Montenegro have also claimed Montenegrin to be their native language. Most openly, Matica Muslimanska called on [[Muslims (ethnic group)|Muslims]] living in Montenegro to name their native language as Montenegrin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maticamuslimanska.me/mcg/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102101253/http://www.maticamuslimanska.me/mcg/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 November 2015|title=MUSLIMANI CRNE GORE – MATICA MUSLIMANSKA CRNE GORE|date=2 November 2015}}</ref>