The study of the Serbian language in the publishing activity of the institute for Serbian culture Priština - Leposavić (based on the example of the dictionary of the Kosovo-Metohija dialect by Gligorije Elezović)

Abstract

This paper represents a contribution to the study of the Serbian language within the publishing activity of the Institute for Serbian Culture Priština – Leposavić, using monographic publications, namely dictionaries, as a case study. The corpus for analysis primarily consists of the two-volume Dictionary of the Kosovo-Metohija Dialect I, II by Gligorije Elezović, with the aim to: 1) shed light on the significance of this differential dialectological dictionary, which belongs to the periphery of the linguistic area; 2) highlight the importance of the Barić–Elezović philological debate in the reception and analysis of the dictionary; 3) demonstrate the methodology and criteria of Elezović’s lexicographical work, derived from the vernacular speech of the Kosovo-Metohija region; 4) contribute new scholarly insights into the reception of Elezović’s oeuvre. It is concluded that the aforementioned publications serve as vital testimonies to the linguistic, spiritual, and material heritage of a specific region and era, whose relevance is mirrored in today’s (linguistic) reality.