Why does Croatian include vocabulary influenced by German, Hungarian, and Italian?

The inclusion of German, Hungarian, and Italian vocabulary in the Croatian language is primarily the result of differential historical patterns of foreign domination.1

For centuries, various regions of Croatia were subject to the influence and administration of neighboring powers. The Habsburg Empire, which exerted significant control over Croatian lands, facilitated German and Hungarian cultural and linguistic influence, particularly as land was distributed to foreign magnates and military dignitaries. In coastal regions such as Dalmatia and Istria, long-standing historical ties and proximity to Italy led to the integration of Italian vocabulary.21

These foreign influences are distinct from those found in the Serbian variant of the language, which historically shows more Turkish and Russian influence. In response to these external pressures, Croatian linguistic development has often been characterized by purism—a practice of replacing foreign loanwords with traditional or newly coined native terms to emphasize the language's distinct identity.13