Changes

* Shtokavian dialect

* Shtokavian dialect

[[File:300px-Serbo croatian dialects historical distribution.png|thumb|right|450px| Distribution of central South Slavic dialects '''before 16th century''' migrations.In blue Chakavian dialect witch could have gone futher south before they intermixed.]]

[[File:300px-Serbo croatian dialects historical distribution.png|thumb|right|450px| Distribution of central South Slavic dialects '''before 16th century''' migrations.In blue Chakavian dialect witch could have gone further south before they intermixed.]]

The region south of the river Cetina has been sometimes historically referred to as Red Croatia, which would indicate Croatian influence was felt beyond the river Cetina. Historians F.Rački and V. Klaić think  there might have been Croatians as far south as Kosovo.{{quote|

The region south of the river Cetina has been sometimes historically referred to as Red Croatia, which would indicate Croatian influence was felt beyond the river Cetina. Historians F.Rački and V. Klaić think  there might have been Croatians as far south as Kosovo.{{quote|

''F. Rački and V. Klaić think these Croats may have operated not only along the coast but inland as far east as what is now Kosovo, intermixed with Serb or other Slavic tribes...'' <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=wEF5oN5erE0C&pg=PA62&dq=V.+Klaić+Red+Croatia+John+Fine&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8RbkUN3YJ4iZkAW4lIGIAw&sqi=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=V.%20Klaić%20Red%20Croatia%20John%20Fine&f=false  When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:]  by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p62-p63)

''F. Rački and V. Klaić think these Croats may have operated not only along the coast but inland as far east as what is now Kosovo, intermixed with Serb or other Slavic tribes...'' <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=wEF5oN5erE0C&pg=PA62&dq=V.+Klaić+Red+Croatia+John+Fine&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8RbkUN3YJ4iZkAW4lIGIAw&sqi=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=V.%20Klaić%20Red%20Croatia%20John%20Fine&f=false  When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:]  by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p62-p63)

  John V. A. Fine Jr</ref>}}  

  John V. A. Fine Jr</ref>}}  

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' very large groups of peoples started to migrate westward. The Ottomans caused huge instability in the area and actually managed to twice besiege Vienna. The Western Balkans from that period forward began to acquire new groups of people in its regions (i.e., Croatians, Serbs, Albanians, Greeks, Turks & others), thus creating new ethnic mixes. I believe that due to these events the old Slavic tribal borders, what was left of them, changed forever during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.  

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' very large groups of peoples started to migrate westward. The Ottomans caused huge instability in the area and actually managed to twice besiege Vienna. The Western Balkans from that period forward began to acquire new groups of people in its regions (i.e., new Croatians, Serbs, Albanians, Greeks, Turks & others), thus creating new ethnic mixes. I believe that due to these events the old Slavic tribal borders, what was left of them, changed forever during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.  

It is true that some of the origins of some of these words denoting southern slavic groups (i.e. Horvat, Sorb) can be traced further back in history. Some have wrongly associated the etymology of these words to proclaim ethnicities or national identities back deep into the past. To my understanding there is no proof that these ethnic identities existed.  

It is true that some of the origins of some of these words denoting southern slavic groups (i.e. Horvat, Sorb) can be traced further back in history. Some have wrongly associated the etymology of these words to proclaim ethnicities or national identities back deep into the past. To my understanding there is no real hard historic proof that these ethnic identities existed.