Shumen dialect

Summary

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.

Phonological and morphological characteristics edit

  • The reflex of Old Church Slavonic ѣ in a stressed syllable is я (ʲa) before a hard syllable (бѣлъ > /bʲaɫ/) and broad е (æ) before a soft syllable (бѣли > /bæli/). In an unstressed syllable, the reflex is, however, only я (ʲa).
  • 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 (гърбо̀, сто̀лу instead of гърбъ̀т, сто̀лът)
  • Preserved traces of Old Bulgarian ы (ɨ): сын vs. formal Bulgarian син (son). 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 dialects) and subsequent reduction of o into у: напредук vs. Standard Bulgarian напредък (progress)
  • Labialisation of и into ʲу: пипер is /pʲupɛr/ (as if пюпер) vs. Standard Bulgarian /pipɛr/ (pepper)
  • Elision 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)
  • The modern Bulgarian vowel ъ (from both yers and *ǫ) is pronounced as a close /ɯ/, rather than close-mid /ɤ/

For other phonological and morphological characteristics that are typical for all Moesian dialects, cf. article.

Sources edit

Стойков, Стойко: Българска диалектология, Акад. изд. "Проф. Марин Дринов", 2006, с. 105-106[1]