"Alphabet Wars" in the Balkans.

The article focuses on the historical and sociolinguistic dynamics of “alphabet wars” in the Balkans, where multiple scripts—primarily Glagolitic, Cyrillic, and Latin—have coexisted and competed in writing Slavonic languages. It traces the origins of these conflicts from the Early Middle Ages, highlighting the creation of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets for Slavonic liturgical use, their coexistence and eventual dominance of Cyrillic in Bulgaria, and the persistence of Glagolitic in Croatia alongside Latin script. The study further examines the later interplay between Cyrillic and Latin scripts shaped by religious affiliations (Orthodox and Catholic), national movements, and political changes, including the impact of Yugoslavia’s dissolution on script usage in successor states. Additional cases involving Greek, Arabic (arebica), and Hebrew scripts in the region are noted, with the article concluding that while multiple scripts often coexisted, outright “alphabet wars” were rare and typically symbolic, with some scripts experiencing revival today primarily as cultural heritage markers.