What I especially want to know is why, for example, in the former Yugoslavia there are people of the Slavic people who label themselves differently. But also in the Netherlands there are Frisians who are a different people.
Answer
What exactly a people is, is the question of ‘ethnicity’. Usually, ethnicity is based on the language used, but there are exceptions. Sometimes origin (surname), appearance or religion is used to divide people into nations. The term is usually used as a counterweight to a classification by nationality or citizenship.
The examples you cite are interesting and exceptional ‘counter-movements’ against Yugoslav resp. Dutch nationalism, which are just less based on language.
Most Frisians generally speak Dutch, but rather rely on their ancestry to confirm their ethnicity – just as Irish do, although they mainly speak English and have a strong diaspora. And although Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks share the same language (Macedonian is closer to Bulgarian), they do not regard themselves as one ‘Slavic people’, but as three peoples, with their own origin (surname) and religion (Orthodox, Catholic, respectively). and Muslim).
Answered by
dr. Karl Catteeuw
History of Upbringing and Education, Romanian, Music
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/
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