Background
He was born to a lower noble family in Orava (region).
He was born to a lower noble family in Orava (region).
He studied at a grammar school (gymnasium) in Ružomberok 1774-1778, and later in Trnava and Vienna, and graduated in theology at the general seminary in Preßburg in 1787.
In the very same year, he codified the first Slovak language standard, which he based on western Slovak dialects spoken around Trnava, with some elements from the central dialects. The language, called bernolákovčina, wasn"t accepted as a national standard language, although it was a milestone on the way to the formation of the modern Slovak nation. From to, he was a curate in Bernolákovo, from to 1797 a secretary in the archbishopric vicar"s office in Trnava, and from 1797 until his death in 1813, a priest in Nové Zámky.
His language was the basis for the activities of the Slovenské učené tovarišstvo (Slovak Educated Brotherhood), established in 1792 in Trnava, and also for the movement of Bernolák"s followers, which lasted three generations.
