Razlog dialect
Encyclopedia
The Razlog dialect is a Bulgarian
dialect, member of the Rup
or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. Its range includes the valley of Razlog
in southwestern Bulgaria and its immediate neighbours are the Rup Serres-Nevrokop dialect to the south, the Babyak dialect
to the east, the Samokov
and Ihtiman dialects
to the north and the Blagoevgrad-Petrich dialect to the east. It shares a number of phonological characteristics with both the Rup (especially the Rhodopean) and the Southwestern dialects
. Because of its specific reflexes of Old Bulgarian yat
, it is generally classified as a Rup dialect but is actually transitional between the two dialectal groups.
For other phonological and morphological characteristics typical for all Rup or Rhodopean dialects, cf. Rup dialects
.
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
dialect, member of the Rup
Rup dialects
The Rup dialects, or the Southeastern dialects, are a group of Bulgarian dialects located east of the yat boundary, thus being part of the Eastern Bulgarian dialects. The range of the Rup dialects includes the southern part of Thrace, i.e. Strandzha, the region of Haskovo, the Rhodopes and the...
or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. Its range includes the valley of Razlog
Razlog
Razlog is a town and ski resort in Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the Razlog Valley and was first mentioned during the reign of Byzantine emperor Basil II....
in southwestern Bulgaria and its immediate neighbours are the Rup Serres-Nevrokop dialect to the south, the Babyak dialect
Babyak dialect
The Babyak dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Rup or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. It is spoken in several mountainous villages on the western fringes of the Rhodopes and is thus sandwiched between the Chepino dialect on the east and northeast and the Razlog dialect to the south and...
to the east, the Samokov
Samokov dialect
The Samokov dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects, which is spoken in the region of Samokov in central western Bulgaria...
and Ihtiman dialects
Ihtiman dialect
The Ihtiman dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects, which is spoken in the regions of Ihtiman, Kostenets and Septemvri in central western Bulgaria. It is transitional between the Botevgrad and Samokov dialect....
to the north and the Blagoevgrad-Petrich dialect to the east. It shares a number of phonological characteristics with both the Rup (especially the Rhodopean) and the Southwestern dialects
Southwestern Bulgarian dialects
The Southwestern Bulgarian dialects are a group of Bulgarian dialects which are located west of the yat boundary and are part of the Western Bulgarian dialects. The range of the Southwestern dialects on the territory of Bulgaria includes most of west central and southwestern Bulgaria...
. Because of its specific reflexes of Old Bulgarian yat
Yat
Yat or Jat is the thirty-second letter of the old Cyrillic alphabet. Its name in Old Church Slavonic is jěd’ or iad’ . In the common scientific Latin transliteration for old Slavic languages, the letter is represented by e with caron: .The yat represented a Common Slavic long vowel...
, it is generally classified as a Rup dialect but is actually transitional between the two dialectal groups.
Phonological and morphological characteristics
- Broad e (æ) for Old Bulgarian yatYatYat or Jat is the thirty-second letter of the old Cyrillic alphabet. Its name in Old Church Slavonic is jěd’ or iad’ . In the common scientific Latin transliteration for old Slavic languages, the letter is represented by e with caron: .The yat represented a Common Slavic long vowel...
in a stressed syllable and ordinary e (ɛ) in an unstressed syllable (as in the Rhodopean Chepino dialectChepino dialectThe Chepino dialect is a Bulgarian dialect of the Rhodopean group of the Rup dialects. Its range includes the northwestern Rhodopes, i.e. the towns of Velingrad, Rakitovo and Kostandovo and the villages of Dragichevo and Dorkovo...
): бæл/бæли vs. formal Bulgarian бял/бели (white) but деца as in Standard Bulgarian (children). - Broad e (æ) for Old Bulgarian я in all positions (as in the Rhodopean SmolyanSmolyan dialectThe Smolyan dialect or Central Rhodope dialect is a Bulgarian dialect of the Rhodopean group of the Rup dialects. Its range includes most of the Central Rhodopes, i.e. the region of Smolyan...
and Hvoyna dialectHvoyna dialectThe Hvoyna dialect is a Bulgarian dialect of the Rhodopean group of the Rup dialects. Its range includes the northern part of the Central Rhodopes and the town of Batak in the Western Rhodopes...
): вунæ vs. formal Bulgarian воня (stink) - Vowel a for Old Bulgarian big yus and little yus (as in the neighbouring SamokovSamokov dialectThe Samokov dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects, which is spoken in the region of Samokov in central western Bulgaria...
and Ihtiman dialectsIhtiman dialectThe Ihtiman dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects, which is spoken in the regions of Ihtiman, Kostenets and Septemvri in central western Bulgaria. It is transitional between the Botevgrad and Samokov dialect....
to the north and the Dorkovo subdialect of the Rhodopean Chepino dialectChepino dialectThe Chepino dialect is a Bulgarian dialect of the Rhodopean group of the Rup dialects. Its range includes the northwestern Rhodopes, i.e. the towns of Velingrad, Rakitovo and Kostandovo and the villages of Dragichevo and Dorkovo...
to the east): зап vs. Standard Bulgarian зъп (tooth), даж'до vs. Standard Bulgarian дъж'дът (the rain) - Schwa (ə) for Old Church Slavonic лъ/ль (as in most Southwestern dialectsSouthwestern Bulgarian dialectsThe Southwestern Bulgarian dialects are a group of Bulgarian dialects which are located west of the yat boundary and are part of the Western Bulgarian dialects. The range of the Southwestern dialects on the territory of Bulgaria includes most of west central and southwestern Bulgaria...
): съза vs. formal Bulgarian сълза (tear) - Moderate vowel reduction, as in the rest of the Rup dialects and Standard BulgarianBulgarian languageBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
- The masculine definite article is о (in a stressed syllable) and у (in an unstressed syllable) as in the Moesian dialectsMoesian dialectsThe Moesian dialects are a group of closely related dialects of the Bulgarian language, part of the Eastern Bulgarian dialects. The Moesian dialects are spoken in northeastern Bulgaria and in the regions of Karnobat, Aytos, Burgas and Yambol in southern Bulgaria...
, compared to formal Bulgarian –ът/ъ (гърˈбо, ˈстолу vs. гърˈбът, ˈстолът). However, before a soft syllable, the article is e (cf. a similar trait in the Rup Strandzha dialectStrandzha dialectThe Strandzha dialect is a dialect of the Bulgarian language, member of the Rup or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. The present range of the dialect includes the Bulgarian part of Strandzha. In the past, the dialect was spoken on a much larger territory and extended far down into Eastern Thrace,...
): дене vs. formal Bulgarian ден'ъ(т) (the day), коне vs. formal Bulgarian кон'ъ(т) (the horse). The masculine definite article for adjectives is -йъ as in Standard Bulgarian: гулæмийъ (the big one) - Dynamic stress (as in Standard Bulgarian): маж/ма'же vs. formal Bulgarian мъж/мъ'жъ(т) (the man)
- Lack of ending -т in the forms for 3rd person pl. present tense: яда vs. formal Bulgarian ядът (they eat)
For other phonological and morphological characteristics typical for all Rup or Rhodopean dialects, cf. Rup dialects
Rup dialects
The Rup dialects, or the Southeastern dialects, are a group of Bulgarian dialects located east of the yat boundary, thus being part of the Eastern Bulgarian dialects. The range of the Rup dialects includes the southern part of Thrace, i.e. Strandzha, the region of Haskovo, the Rhodopes and the...
.
Noteworthy
- The first grammatical treatise of Modern Bulgarian published by Serbian scholar Vuk Karadzic in 1822 (Додатак к санктпетербургским сравнитељним pjeчницима свиjу jезика и нaрjечиjа c особитим огледом Бугарског jезика) is based on the grammatical and morphological characteristics of the Ralog dialect
- The first full grammar of Modern Bulgarian published by Bulgarian scholar Neofit RilskiNeofit RilskiNeofit Rilski or Neophyte of Rila , born Nikola Poppetrov Benin was a 19th-century Bulgarian monk, teacher and artist, and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival....
in 1835 (Болгарска граматика) is also based on the grammatical and morphological characteristics of the Ralog dialect