state language (official language)
The state language (official language) is usually taken to mean the national language that is the historically established majority language used in the country. The official language can also sometimes be a language from another country, which has become established in everyday life and an accepted means of official communication. The language of the majority nation (the national language) can have the following symbolic or political functions: a means of representation of the nation-state, a means of smooth communication within the administration, a vehicle of the values of national culture, an essential element of national identity, or a national cultural heritage to be preserved. The state language (official language) is a common means of communication for all citizens of the state, protected and developed by specific institutions. National language, official language and state language (official language) can be distinguished according to privileged and unrestricted use within a country. Thus, according to their status, we can distinguish between majority and minority national languages in Europe, especially in its eastern region. Four systems of relationships are distinguished as follows: 1. the concept of official language (state language (official language)) is laid down in the Constitution and it only applies to the language of the majority nation (in Slovakia, in Romania, and until 2002 in Serbia); 2. the concept of official language (state language (official language)) is laid down in the Constitution together with the minority languages of the country, the latter being declared regional official languages (Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine); 3. the concept of state language (official language) is not laid down in the constitution but in other legal regulations (Poland) and; 4. the concept of state language (official language) is not laid down by law (Czech Republic, Hungary).