Crmnica
Crmnica (Serbian and Montenegrin: Црмница, pronounced [tsr̩mnitsa]) is one of the local communities (mjesne zajednice) of the municipality of Bar and a historical region in southern Montenegro. It was one of the four sub-regions of Old Montenegro, where it was known as Crmnička nahija ("the nahija of Crmnica").
Geography and demographics
Crmnica is located in south-western Montenegro, between the historical area of the
The population adheres to Orthodoxy; roughly, the majority of the population declares as Montenegrins, the rest as Serbs.
Origins
Crmnica first appears in the 13th century under two different names, Crmnica and Kučevo, which is the slavicized variant of an Albanian toponym that meant "red place" (kuq). Both names refer to the fact that the region was known for its quarry of red stone.[2]
History
In the Middle Ages, the area shows a strong symbiosis of Slavic and Albanian populations.[2] The southern part of the area became part of the same administrative unit with Shestani when the Ottomans took over after 1479. In that period, the Slavic anthroponymy of Crmnica was frequently followed by the Albanian suffix -za. This phenomenon doesn't appear in such widespread form in any other area of Montenegro except for Mrkojevići to the south of Crmnica. It has been interpreted as the result of gradual, centuries-long adoption of Slavic culture by an Albanian-speaking population.[3]
The Ottoman census of 1582–83 registered the
References
- ^ "Census 2011 data - Montenegro". Monstat. Statistical Office of Montenegro. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ a b Milan Šufflay (2000). Izabrani politički spisi. Matica hrvatska. p. 218. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Pulaha, Selami (1972). "Elementi shqiptar sipas onomastikës së krahinave të sanxhakut të Shkodrës [The Albanian element in view of the anthroponymy of the sanjak of Shkodra]". Studime Historike: 84–5. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- OCLC 29549273
- ^ Bolizza, Mariano. "Report and Description of the Sanjak of Shkodra". Retrieved 28 January 2020.