So, a few days ago, Večernji List, one of the most respected Croatian newspaper and news website, published a long article arguing that Croatians were one of the first Europeans to settle in the New World, before Christopher Columbo rediscovered it, and that the Native American tribe called Croatans, now living in North Carolina, are the descendants of those Croatians. A short version of that article is available on their website:
https://m-mojahrvatska.vecernji.hr/price...ic-1198233
In short, they point to the similarities of the names "Croatans" and "Croatians". Then they claim that "Croatans" is not a native Croatan word, so much so that the consonant cluster 'cr' doesn't exist in Croatan native words, nor in languages closely related to it. By the way, "Croatian" is also not a native Croatian word, and the mainstream historical linguistics explains it as Croatians once having spoken a language closely related to modern-day Ossetian, in which a similar word means "one who glorifies the sun". The article included a list of Croatan words which they claim are probably inherited from Croatian, though, to be honest, I don't find them very convincing, especially considering quite a few of those words could easily be borrowings from languages related to Spanish in both Croatian and Croatan. The article also claims that there is a Croatan legend that their ancestors came from a far-away land on a ship that sank, so they couldn't return home, and that their ancestors were able to "speak into and from a book", that is, that their ancestors could read and write. They also claim some features of Croatan mythology, such as the belief in the immortal soul and in heaven and hell, come from Christianity.
So, what do you guys here think about it? I think the story is broadly plausible. There is, as far as I know, little or no doubt the Vikings settled America in the Middle Ages, and I see no reason why that can't be true for Croatians. However, I think that's not really the simplest explanation for the name "Croatan". First of all, during the Middle Ages, the Croatian-speaking sailors didn't call themselves Croatians, they called themselves "Ragusians", "Dalmatians" or "Illyrians". Second, the Croatian word for "Croatian" is "Hrvat", "Croatian" is a Latin name borrowed probably from North-East Slavic. The names "Croatan" and "Hrvat" don't really resemble each other much, and it's very hard to explain why those sailors would call themselves with a Latin name for "Croatian". It seems to me at least as likely that the name "Croatan" comes from some extinct Native American language. Such coincidences do happen, and it's important we don't become the victims of the Bongo-Bongo effect.
However, I would like to hear your opinions! I know almost nothing about American history.
https://m-mojahrvatska.vecernji.hr/price...ic-1198233
In short, they point to the similarities of the names "Croatans" and "Croatians". Then they claim that "Croatans" is not a native Croatan word, so much so that the consonant cluster 'cr' doesn't exist in Croatan native words, nor in languages closely related to it. By the way, "Croatian" is also not a native Croatian word, and the mainstream historical linguistics explains it as Croatians once having spoken a language closely related to modern-day Ossetian, in which a similar word means "one who glorifies the sun". The article included a list of Croatan words which they claim are probably inherited from Croatian, though, to be honest, I don't find them very convincing, especially considering quite a few of those words could easily be borrowings from languages related to Spanish in both Croatian and Croatan. The article also claims that there is a Croatan legend that their ancestors came from a far-away land on a ship that sank, so they couldn't return home, and that their ancestors were able to "speak into and from a book", that is, that their ancestors could read and write. They also claim some features of Croatan mythology, such as the belief in the immortal soul and in heaven and hell, come from Christianity.
So, what do you guys here think about it? I think the story is broadly plausible. There is, as far as I know, little or no doubt the Vikings settled America in the Middle Ages, and I see no reason why that can't be true for Croatians. However, I think that's not really the simplest explanation for the name "Croatan". First of all, during the Middle Ages, the Croatian-speaking sailors didn't call themselves Croatians, they called themselves "Ragusians", "Dalmatians" or "Illyrians". Second, the Croatian word for "Croatian" is "Hrvat", "Croatian" is a Latin name borrowed probably from North-East Slavic. The names "Croatan" and "Hrvat" don't really resemble each other much, and it's very hard to explain why those sailors would call themselves with a Latin name for "Croatian". It seems to me at least as likely that the name "Croatan" comes from some extinct Native American language. Such coincidences do happen, and it's important we don't become the victims of the Bongo-Bongo effect.
However, I would like to hear your opinions! I know almost nothing about American history.
