PRECEDENT NAMES IN SERBIAN CULTURE AND THEIR REFLECTIONS ON THE COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE

Abstract

This paper explores three precedent names in Serbian culture ‒ Gavrilo Princip, Dragoljub Mihailović, and Josip Broz Tito ‒ through the lens of language’s communicative function. It’s important to note that precedent names can't be fully understood outside the context of precedent statements and texts. For that reason, the core topic of this paper is the broader phenomenon of precedent in language and culture. Since most theoretical literature on this subject comes from Russian linguistics—where the precedent phenomenon was among the earliest to be studied—our research draws primarily on Russian-language sources, including academic papers, dissertations, and monographs. The findings suggest that precedent names occupy a special place in a nation’s cultural memory, and that specific mechanisms help embed them in the collective consciousness of a cultural identity. We conclude that understanding the symbolic and iconic status of these figures is key to studying the Serbian language and culture, both in domestic and international contexts.