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To: Kolokotronis; NYer; ninenot; sandyeggo
Yes. Some Serbian priests sing in modern Serbian (whose grammar is actually identical to the Church Slavonic (7 cases, the only Slavic language that has retained it, and same infinitive endings on verbs -- i). Even though Serbian has retained many Slavonic words, the word order is sometimes reversed and some palatalizations have occurred not only in Serbian but all Slavic languages.

Despite the similarity, because of occasional word order change, the modern Serbian sounds awkward. It doesn't flow as easily as Church Salvonic. And on some occasions even the meter is off.

So, just as we can't change Bethoven's 9th by adding words and changing tones, the same goes for the liturgy. It must be done in its original form to capture the mood for which ti was intended and to flow artistically and gracefully.

We all understand that things are not freely interchangeable (not every woman can be a substitute for one's wife, and not and old man can be your grandfather). These creations, including art are one of a kind and their mold is broken when they are made. Thus changes are merely bad imitations, and there is nothing worse than an imitation other than a bad imitation.

87 posted on 04/08/2005 7:27:56 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodox is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50

When you say "Church" Slavonic, is that the same as "Old" Slavonic?


97 posted on 04/09/2005 5:46:57 AM PDT by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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