The Macedonian language, a South Slavic language, has its roots in the region of Macedonia, which spans parts of modern-day Greece, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. It emerged as a distinct language from Proto-Slavic around the 9th century, evolving in the region's diverse cultural and linguistic environment. The earliest written records in Macedonian date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, but the language was predominantly oral for much of its history, with influences from Greek, Turkish, and other neighboring languages. The development of Macedonian as a literary language was limited under Ottoman rule, which lasted for centuries, as regional dialects were more commonly used.
 

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, as national identities began to emerge in the Balkans, Macedonian speakers faced pressure to identify either with Bulgarian or Serbian linguistic and cultural identities. However, the 1940s saw significant strides in establishing Macedonian as a standardized language. In 1945, it was officially recognized as one of the languages of the newly created Socialist Republic of Macedonia within Yugoslavia. The language underwent significant reforms to standardize its orthography and grammar, influenced by the work of scholars and linguists. Today, Macedonian is the official language of North Macedonia and is recognized as a minority language in some neighboring countries.

To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st Macedonian translation of the Philosopher's Stone, Click Here.
To READ the 1st paragraph of the 2nd Macedonian translation of the Philosopher's Stone for the Project, Click Here.