Younger Ikavian dialect

Younger Ikavian (mlađi ikavski), also called Western Ikavian/Western Neoshtokavian Ikavian (zapadni ikavski/zapadni novoštokavski ikavski), or Bosnian–Dalmatian dialect (bosansko-dalmatinski dijalekat), is a subdialect of Shtokavian Serbo-Croatian spoken primarily by Croats in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Italy, less by Bosniaks and rarely Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most speakers use the Latin alphabet.

Area of use
In Croatia is spoken in pockets of Gorski kotar, south of Novi Vinodolski in the Lika hinterland, Kordun, central Slavonia, in Dalmatia and in small pockets on Dalmatian islands of Šolta, Brač, Hvar and Korčula.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina west of the river Bosna and Neretva, and in the Bačka region of Hungary (inc. Budapest) and the autonomous province Vojvodina of Serbia. In Italy is spoken in Molise.

Characteristics
The dialect is a sub-dialect of Shtokavian dialect group, specifically Western Shtokavian sub-group. It is a descendant of the Western Shtokavian which was spoken in parts of Dalmatia, Western Bosnia and Western Herzegovina, which had several typically western features like Schakavism, Ikavism, reflex "j", acute accent and so by which is closely related to the Chakavian dialect.

Although the vocal characteristic of the dialect is its Ikavian yat reflex (*/ě/ > /i/), there do exist some local differences with rare examples of Ekavian or Ijekavian reflex. It has some similarities to Southern Chakavian and Slavonian dialect. Same can be said for morphology, with some Italian influence too.

Accentology has four accents, sometimes also old acute accent, while in the case of Slavomolisano often two accents due to Italianization. Younger Ikavian accent characteristics can be considered as one of the basis of Croatian standard language.

The lexicon has many Turkish loanwords, aside Slavomolisano and seaside speeches who have more Italian loanwords, while in Bačka also Hungarian and German influences (the German is present also in Lika). There exist many common words with Chakavian dialect (like "grem", "tovar", "muka", "iskat", "hiža", "lačan", "povidat", "zabiti", "dažd/daždit", "pot", "vlasi" and so on).

In some cases, like the area of Slunj, today Younger Ikavian Shtokavian speakers could be described as Shtokavized previous Chakavian Ikavian speakers.

Sub-dialects
The dialect can be further divided into Ikavian Schakavian (Šćakavian; from šćakavski) and Ikavian Shtakavian (Štakavian; from štakavski) sub-dialects:


 * Schakavian would be in Dalmatia between river Cetina and Neretva as well as islands, in whole Slavonia, in whole Bosnia and smaller part of Western Herzegovina, as well pockets in Lika and Gorski kotar.
 * Shtakavian would be in Dalmatia west of river Cetina, in Lika, most of Western Herzegovina, in Bačka, in Molise, and some pockets in Gorski kotar. However, in some local speeches can be found both Schakavian and Shtakavian.

In the literature can be also found terms like Makarska-Primorje sub-dialect and Livno-Vrbas sub-dialect (both Schakavian), Western Hum sub-dialect and Biokovo-Cetina sub-dialect (both Shtakavian). They can be further divided into Schakavian and Shtakavian who have transition of "-l" into "-o" or "-a":


 * Schakavian with "-a" in Makarska Riviera (previously existed Makarska-Primorje dialect)
 * Shtakavian with "-a" around Ljubuški (previously existed southern speeches of Western Hum dialect, from which originate Slavomolisano, and Shtokavian transition of the Southwestern Istrian-Chakavian Ikavian dialect)
 * Schakavian with "-o" around Derventa (previously existed Livno-Vrbas dialect)
 * Shtakavian with "-o" around Mostar (previously existed northern speeches of Western Hum dialect, from which originate Bunjevac dialect in Bačka and elsewhere)

These divisions indicate pre-16th century migratory existence of several different dialects and local vernaculars.

Considering the national and international status recognition of local vernaculars, exist Slavomolisano dialect (with some Chakavian influences) and Bunjevac dialect.

Status
In 2018, Serbia finalized the standardisation of the Bunjevac dialect in Serbia.

Since 2021, Croatia categorized the Bunjevac dialect with three historical-etnological sub-branches: Dalmatian, Danubian, and Littoral-Lika.