Shumen dialect
Encyclopedia
The Shumen dialect is a Bulgarian
dialect, member of the Moesian dialects
. It is one of the best preserved Moesian dialects and is spoken in the regions of Shumen
and Kaspichan
.
For other phonological and morphological characteristics that are typical for all Moesian dialects, cf. article
.
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 Moesian dialects
Moesian dialects
The 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...
. It is one of the best preserved Moesian dialects and is spoken in the regions of Shumen
Shumen
Shumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
and Kaspichan
Kaspichan
Kaspichan is a town in central northeastern Bulgaria, part of Shumen Province. It is located in the eastern Danubian Plain, some 70 km from the major Black Sea port Varna and around 120 km from the key Danube ports of Rousse and Silistra...
.
Phonological and morphological characteristics
- The reflex of Old Church Slavonic in a stressed syllable is я (ʲa) before a hard syllable (бʲaл) and broad е (æ) before a soft syllable (бæли). In an unstressed syllable, the reflex is, however, only я (ʲa): врʲaме'на vs. formal Bulgarian време'на (times)
- Complete loss of x /x/ in all positions. It is replaced by either f or v: фулера vs. formal Bulgarian холера (cholera)
- The masculine definite article is о (stressed) and у (unstressed) instead of formal Bulgarian –ът/ъ (гърˈбо, ˈстолу instead of гърˈбът, ˈстолът)
- Preserved traces of Old Bulgarian ы (ɨ): сын vs. formal Bulgarian син (blue). This makes the Shumen dialect extremely archaic as (ɨ) is considered to be the original pronunciation of Old Church Slavonic ы
- Transition of a into e after a soft (palatal) consonant and before a soft syllable: шапка-шепки vs. Standard Bulgarian шапка-шапки (hat-hats)
- Large number of o reflexes of Old Church Slavonic ъ in a suffix position (as in the Southwestern Bulgarian 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...
) and subsequent reduction of o into у: напредук vs. Standard Bulgarian напредък (progress) - Labialisation of и into : vs. Standard Bulgarian пипер (pepper)
- Ellision of syllables, vowels and consonants, usually in frequently used words: рапта vs. Standard Bulgarian работа (work)
- A large number of lexical peculiarities, e.g. жерка vs. common Bulgarian воденица (watermill)
For other phonological and morphological characteristics that are typical for all Moesian dialects, cf. article
Moesian dialects
The 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...
.