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HE Bohemian language is the crystallisation of a great number of Slavonic dialects, of which, as the result of political conditions, that spoken in Bohemia by the ruling division of the Slavonic race, is the one that generally prevails.

The language as it is spoken at the present time must be divided into three groups: first, that used throughout the Kingdom of Bohemia; second, that of Moravia; and third, the dialect spoken by the Slovaks of North Eastern Hungary. The literary form of the language is that of Prague, but in course of time it has undergone numerous changes, so that it does not agree with any special dialect, but stands as the most cultivated example of the language used by any of the Slavonic family.

There are three periods recognised in the literary history of Bohemia. The first period ranges from the earliest written documents to the works of John Hus (1410). The next period takes us on to the reign of Joseph II (1774). Finally, the modern period extends from the end of the eighteenth century until the present time.

The ancient folklore, traditions, lyric and epic verse, with the fables and sayings, must be considered as the first fruits of the Bohemian literary tree; these were reproduced in later chronicles and other documents, the originals of which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. 35