THE MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE THROUGH STANDARDIZATION AND LANGUAGE POLICY IN A MULTIETHNIC SOCIETY

Abstract

This paper examines the standardization and language policy of the Macedonian language within the multiethnic context of the Republic of North Macedonia. It analyzes the historical processes of the creation and codification of the Macedonian literary language, as well as the contemporary challenges it faces in conditions of increased multiculturalism, political sensitivity, and globalization. Special attention is devoted to the Ohrid Framework Agreement and the Law on the Use of Languages (2019), which significantly transformed the institutional status of the Macedonian language and the languages of the communities. The study applies a qualitative analytical approach, combining historical-linguistic analysis, sociolinguistic theory, and the examination of legal and institutional documents. The findings indicate that contemporary language policy simultaneously promotes linguistic equality and poses challenges to the symbolic and functional centrality of the Macedonian standard language. The paper aims to offer a critical insight into the balance between linguistic equality and the preservation of the Macedonian standard as a cohesive element of the state.