Changes

Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world (old Dalmatia part of [[Croatia]]) is fraught with problems. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Yugoslav Communist party]]  was the main driving force in all social matters within the former Yugoslavia. It created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.

Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world (old Dalmatia part of [[Croatia]]) is fraught with problems. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Yugoslav Communist party]]  was the main driving force in all social matters within the former Yugoslavia. It created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.

We can definitely confirm that from the 13th century onwards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent. <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA103&dq=korcula+Venice++Slavs&hl=en&ei=oMBjTJPQBoicvgPkpPCeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=korcula%20Venice%20%20Slavs&f=false When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref><ref>Smiciklas, ''CD'' V, (p237); N. Klaic, ''Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom'', (p130) {{quote|

We can definitely confirm that from the 13th century onwards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA103&dq=korcula+Venice++Slavs&hl=en&ei=oMBjTJPQBoicvgPkpPCeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=korcula%20Venice%20%20Slavs&f=false When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref><ref>Smiciklas, ''CD'' V, (p237); N. Klaic, ''Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom'', (p130) {{quote|

''In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent.'' }}</ref> Two languages, the Romance Latin language called ''Dalmatian'' and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was [[Latin]]. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Slavic Chakavian could indicate that this group of Slavs came from the same ''or'' similar tribal group.

''In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent.'' }}</ref> in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent. Two languages, the Romance Latin language called ''Dalmatian'' and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was [[Latin]]. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Slavic Chakavian could indicate that this group of Slavs came from the same ''or'' similar tribal group.

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' a large group of peoples stated to migrate westward. Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., new Croatians, Serbs, Albanians & others). When the Black Plague <ref>Korcula was devastated by the plague in 1529 and 1558.{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' a large group of peoples stated to migrate westward. Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., new Croatians, Serbs, Albanians & others). When the Black Plague <ref>Korcula was devastated by the plague in 1529 and 1558.{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}

The Vallegrande Speak evolved in the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Vela Luka's early beginnings, from the late 17th century, started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means ''mud''</ref> setting up a town in the large bay of Vallegrande (modern: Vela Luka). Zvonko Maričić states in the late 1500s there where five buildings (one being a church) in the bay. The buildings belong to Ismaelli, Gabrielli, Canavelli<ref> In modern Croatian: Izmaeli, Gabrijeliċ, Kanavelić</ref> and Kolovic.  Then around the 1690s <ref>Vela Luka od 1490 do 1834 ''by'' Zvonko Maričić (p207)</ref> there were twelve households: Draginić, Tulić, Nalošić, Kostričić, Cetinić, Mirovšević, Žuvela, Prižmić, Marinović, Dragojević, Barčot and Surjan.

The Vallegrande Speak evolved in the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Vela Luka's early beginnings, from the late 17th century, started with the population of the neighbouring Blato <ref>In Croatian blato means ''mud''</ref> setting up a town in the large bay of Vallegrande (modern: Vela Luka). Zvonko Maričić states in the late 1500s there where five buildings (one being a church) in the bay. The buildings belong to Ismaelli, Gabrielli, Canavelli<ref> In modern Croatian: Izmaeli, Gabrijeliċ, Kanavelić</ref> and Kolovic.  Then around the 1690s <ref>Vela Luka od 1490 do 1834 ''by'' Zvonko Maričić (p207)</ref> there were twelve households: Draginić, Tulić, Nalošić, Kostričić, Cetinić, Mirovšević, Žuvela, Prižmić, Marinović, Dragojević, Barčot and Surjan.

Vallegrande Speak is an off shoot of the language spoken in '''18th century''' town of Blato. Etymology of Vallegrande would translate as large bay.  From Latin ''grandis'' means large, big whilst ' valle ' in local dialect means bays. Valle (plural) is most probably of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian origin which was spoken by '''Roman Dalmatians'''.

Vallegrande Speak is an off shoot of the language spoken in '''18th century''' town of Blato. Etymology of Vallegrande would translate as large bay.  From Latin ''grandis'' means large, big whilst ' valle ' in local dialect means bays. Valle (plural) is most probably of Romance (Latin) Dalmatian origin which was spoken by '''Latin Dalmatians'''.

One could easily say that the old Vallegrande Speak is becoming extinct. Successive Yugoslavian governments, be it the Communist Yugoslavian regime (1945-92) or the earlier Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pushed a Pan-Slavic and Croatian Nationalistic political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. Before Yugoslavia came into being the policy was first started to be implemented by Austro-Hungarian Empire, so '''Mr Gabrielli''' became Gabrijeliċ. It takes only one generation to change a language, two generations for it to cease to exist. Today's dialect in Vela Luka (Luški) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language.  

One could easily say that the old Vallegrande Speak is becoming extinct. Successive Yugoslavian governments, be it the Communist Yugoslavian regime (1945-92) or the earlier Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pushed a Pan-Slavic and Croatian Nationalistic political rule. One of their policies in Dalmatia was Slavicisation of the culture, language and history. Before Yugoslavia came into being the policy was first started to be implemented by Austro-Hungarian Empire, so '''Mr Gabrielli''' became Gabrijeliċ. It takes only one generation to change a language, two generations for it to cease to exist. Today's dialect in Vela Luka (Luški) is different and has incorporated much of the standardised modern Croatian language.