What is the origin of the name “Kosovo”?
Kosovo is a Serbian adjective meaning, “of blackbirds”. It is a contraction of the term Kosovo Polje, or “field of blackbirds”. The term Kosova, used by Albanian separatists, is nothing more than a transliteration of the Serbian word into Albanian, with no meaning whatsoever in Albanian. Moreover, the Serbian character of Kosovo is underscored by the region’s traditional full name, Kosovo and Metohija, the latter term meaning “church lands”. This refers to the numerous Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches scattered throughout the province, which numbered up to 3000 at one point. Many of orthodoxy’s holiest shrines are still in Kosovo, such as the monasteries of Devich, Dechani, and Grachanitsa.
