Thе last word of Stefan Nemanja - Father Simeon, recorded in 1208. by his youngest son Rastko - Saint Sava - the founder of Serbian Ortodoxy

"Cherish your language like you do your country, my precious. A word can be lost like a town, like a country, like your soul. What is left of people if they lose their language, their land, their soul? Do not utter a foreign word, my son. If you do, you have not conquered it, you have alienated yourself. It is better to lose the biggest and the toughest town than a smallest and a most humble word of your language. Countries can be conquered not only by swords but by languages, too. Be aware that the number of subdued and stolen words is the measure of foreign conquest.

People that lose their language cease to exist. There is a disease, my lovely, that afflicts the language like it afflicts flesh. I remember such infections and afflictions. Most often it affects the fringes of a people, where one nation borders on another, where their languages rub each other. Two peoples, my love, can fight or they can live in peace with each other. Two languages can never become reconciled. Two peoples can live in peace and harmony, but their languages can only fight each other. Whenever two languages meet and mingle, they are like two armies battling to death. As long as both languages are heard, no one wins the battle. The one that is heard more will prevail. The battle is over. After the loss of a language, the people are no more. You have to know, my son, that battles between languages do not last a day or two like battles between armies, neither does it last a year or two, like wars between peoples, but for centuries. For a language, that is a short span of time, like a minute or two of a man’s life.

Therefore, my son, it is better to lose all battles and wars than to lose a language. After lost battles and lost wars, people will survive. After a language has been lost, the people are no more. The language is tougher than any parapet. When your enemy breaks through all parapets and fortresses, despair not but watch what happens with your language. If your language is left unscathed, have not fear. Send spies and merchants deep into villages and towns to listen eagerly.

Where our word resounds, where our word is tossed like an old gold coin, it is where our country is, my son, no matter who rules over it. Kings come and go, states fall apart, it is the language and people that stay behind.”