Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 22, 2012:

Is Serbo-Croat a language? If Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian are different languages, then what is Serbo-Croat? Is it a language at all? If so, who speaks it? If not, why is it listed as a language on proz? Or is the idea that you ask questions in "Serbo-Croat" only if you are translating a pre-1991 text? In my view, this is entirely arbitrary. The language is the same literary language, with regional variants. How you call it makes no difference. The most "politically correct" name I heard is "BSC" (Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian). You can add Montenegrin to it, but that is absolutely beside the point. I have not heard a single convincing argument to show otherwise.

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 22, 2012:

What is the mystery? It is absolutely logical, and I honestly don't understand what the problem is. I would not ask Serbian speakers for a translation of a term in a Croatian text if I thought the translation would be different. Then I would ask it only in Croatian. Because I know it is the same in Serbian, I ask it in Croatian and Serbian (and Bosnian to boot). I also translate from Dutch. If I am looking for a certain term, I do not exclude Belgian translators who use the Belgian Flemish version of Dutch, just because the text I am working with a text from the Netherlands. Why should I exclude Serbian translators when trying to find out an accounting term which is the same in Croatian and Serbian? If there was any difference, I am sure someone would point it out to me, and I would also learn something. The mystery is that it is so hard for people to understand.

Vesna Maširević Jan 21, 2012:

Remains a mystery... Why would you ask the same thing if you know the translation is exactly the same?
And, another thing.. http://www.proz.com/faq/terminology_term_help/kudoz/asking.h...

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 21, 2012:

Thanks Mira I am afraid I am not happy with "enough valid answers". I want to see what everyone working in these languages has to sugest. Closing is not an issue, although it is a minor inconvenience doing it four times instead of just ones. For as long as these four nearly identical languages are treated separately in Proz, I will have to ask the same thing in four languages if I know that both the source and the translation is exactly the same in all four.

Mira Stepanovic Jan 16, 2012:

Of course not all translators are registered for Serbo-Croat. But I guess you would still receive enough valid answers. In this way, a large number of us has received 8 alerts for 2 question - that creates a lot of confusion. The translation into English has to be the same in all language pairs, I wonder how will you handle the question closing in 4 different language pairs. :-)

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 16, 2012:

I agree that it makes no sense But if I posted it in Serbo-Croat only, would all of us receive it? I would not be surprised if there are people out there who are not registered for Serbo-Croat. I am registered as working from all these languages, but is it safe to assume that everybody else is?

Vesna Maširević Jan 16, 2012:

I agree... (with both of you) So, maybe next time post such questions in Serbo-Croat - English because this really makes little sense... (especially when you get the same person answering the same question/giving the same answer in all of the 3 combinations)

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 15, 2012:

They may be different languagesif you will ...but for the purposes of convenience they should either be treated as one language on proz or all questions asked in one should be automatically forwarded to answerers working in the others.

I am not a native speaker in any of them, but I am yet to hear a single convincing explanation as to why Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian are different languages. They are no more different than American English and British English, and LESS different than Netherlands and Belgian Dutch or Brazilian and Portuguese Portuguese. It is a matter of faith more than anything else in my opinion.

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 15, 2012:

The point is The source text is in Croatian. However, there may be Serbian and Bosnian translators not registered for Croatian that may not receive the question. Or is it the case that "Serbo-Croat" questions are automatically received by all translators registered for Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian? If that is the case, then I will only post questions in "Serbo-Croat". Please confirm.

Mira Stepanovic Jan 15, 2012:

Sorry but I do not see the point, I don't believe that you have 4 source texts in 4 languages and I am quite sure that you do know exactly what language your source text is written in. In addition, most translators participate in answering KudoZ questions in all ex-Yu languages to/from English, as you may have seen in the case of your first question (you received answers in all those pairs from one translator). Another option would be to post your questions in Serbo-Croat > English only, that covers all ex-Yu languages. They can not be listed as one language since they are different languages.

Piotrnikitin (asker) Jan 15, 2012:

That is exactly the reason... . why I am posting it in all four languages. I need to cover all the possible answerers. If I posted it only in Croatian, some Serbian and Bosnian translators may not be able to see the question. IMHO proz should list them as one language anyway.

Mira Stepanovic Jan 15, 2012:

Piotr Why are you posting the same question in 4 very close languages please? The translation into English is exactly the same in all 4 cases.