Macedonian language

Macedonian /ˌmæsɨˈdoʊniən/ (македонски јазик, makedonski jazik, pronounced [maˈkɛdɔnski ˈjazik] ) is a South Slavic language, spoken as a first language by around two million people, principally in the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian diaspora, with a smaller number of speakers throughout the transnational region of Macedonia. It is the official language of the Republic of Macedonia and an official minority language in parts of Albania, and Serbia.

Standard Macedonian was implemented as the official language of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1945 and has since developed a thriving literary tradition. Most of the codification was formalized during the same period.

Macedonian dialects form a continuum with Bulgarian dialects; they in turn form a broader continuum with Serbo-Croatian through the transitional Torlakian dialects.

The name of the Macedonian language is a matter of political controversy in Greece as is its distinctiveness compared to Bulgarian in Bulgaria.