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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 16:5 (2017) ► pp.731–750

Macedonia outside “Macedonia”

Denying name, silencing identity and obliterating presence

ORCID logo | South East European University, Macedonia
| Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Macedonia

The name dispute between Republic of Macedonia and Greece manifests itself in Greece’s objections to the use of the noun “Macedonia” or the adjective “Macedonian” to refer to any other ethnicity, culture, tradition and history except Greek. In order to promote itself as a sole claimant to the name, Greece has constructed a discourse which legitimizes its exclusive right to it, while at the same time it delegitimizes such right to Macedonia. However, this discourse does not only deny Macedonia the right to the name but it also denies Macedonia the right to discuss identity issues, while at the same time it obliterates Macedonian presence in the discourse in any relation to the disputed term. In this respect, this study seeks to analyze the specific linguistic strategies underlying these discursive effects.

Keywords: Macedonia, right to the name, deligitimisation, silencing, vague referentiality
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Historic background
  • 3.The objections
  • 4.Subject and aims of the study
  • 5.Theoretical concepts
    • 5.1Normative name semiosis and legitimization of the exclusive right
    • 5.2Delegitimization of unacceptable use
  • 6.Data
  • 7.Results and analysis
    • 7.1Legitimizing Greece’s right to the name, delegitimizing Macedonia’s
    • 7.2Red lines
    • 7.3Silencing identity
    • 7.4Substitution of Macedonia
  • 8.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 16 May 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.15006.tak
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