SOURCE: Toporišič, Jože. “Kopitar as Defender of the Independence of the Slovene Language.” In The Formation of the Slavonic Literary Languages, edited by Gerald Stone and Dean Worth, pp. 193-205. Columbus, OH: Slavica Publishers, 1985.

In the following essay, Toporišič details Kopitar's efforts on behalf of an independent Slovene language and culture.

The late Professor Robert Auty dedicated a great deal of his scholarly attention to the languages of the Slavs who live more or less on the Pannonian planes and in adjacent areas to the south, west, and east. This is also the area which attracted the undivided attention of our Jernej Kopitar, whose endeavors to defend the independent individuality of the Slovene language will be the topic of our presentation today.

Jernej Kopitar was in love with the Slovene language. His love was unconditional and self-existent, but in due time he tried to give...