- Franc Serafin Metelko
Franc Serafin Metelko (
14 July ,1779 -27 December ,1860 ) was a SloveneRoman Catholic priest ,author andphilologist , most famous for his proposal of a new script for theSlovene language , called theMetelko alphabet , which was ment to replace the traditionalBohorič alphabet , used since late 16th century.Metelko was born in the village of
Škocjan , in what was then theDuchy of Carniola in theHabsburg Monarchy . He studiedtheology andphilosophy inLjubljana . In 1814 he was ordained priest and in 1817 he started teaching Slovene at theLyceum in Ljubljana.In 1825, he published a book in German entitled "Lehrgebäude der slowenischen Sprache im Königreiche Illyrien und in den benachbarten Provinzen" or "Textbook for the Slovenian Language in the
Kingdom of Illyria and Neighboring Provinces". Following the advice of the liguistJernej Kopitar , his newly coined alphabet (which soon became known as the "metelčica " or "Metelko's alphabet") wasphonetic , with each character corresponding a sound in the spoken language. It was also quite complicated, containing a significant number of unneeded characters, some of which he took fromCyrillic alphabet. Besides, Metelko based his phonology on his localLower Carniola n dialect, which was not acceptable for most of contemporary Slovenian authors.Metelko's proposal further aggravated the so-called "Slovenian Alphabet Strife", started by
Peter Dajnko 's quest for a new, more phonetic alphabet, replacing the traditional "bohoričica ". Metelko's main opponent, philologistMatija Čop convinced the renowned Czech scholarFrantišek Čelakovský to publish a devastating critique of Metelko's alphabet, which undermined the possibilities of its success. Čop also persuaded the local Austrian educational authorities to ban Metelko's alphabet from schools, which they did with an official decree in 1833. The "Alphabet Strife" nevertheless continued until the 1840s, when a slightly modified version ofGaj's Latin alphabet was finally adopted, which is still used to this day.Metelko's alphabet remained in the public memory because of a
satiric poem byFrance Prešeren , entitled "Al' prav se piše kaψa ali kaſha" ("How to Write the Word Porridge"), in which criticised the Alphabet Strife issue of being a non-sense.Metelko was otherwise a known collector of
folk songs and an amateur poet himself. A street in the center of Ljubljana, the Metelkova ulica, is named after him.He died in
Ljubljana .See also
*
Dajnko alphabet
*Slovene alphabet
*History of Slovenia
*Culture of Slovenia
*Language reform
*Anton Janežič External links
* [http://www2.arnes.si/~mpavle1/mete.html Example of "metelčica"; page in Slovene language]
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