Zlatograd dialect
Encyclopedia
The Zlatograd dialect is a Bulgarian
dialect, member of the Rup
or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. The Zlatograd dialect is spoken in the southwestern part of the Eastern Rhodopes, i.e. in the town of Zlatograd
, as well as a number of neighbouring villages and towns, e.g. Nedelino
, Kirkovo
, etc. The Zlatograd dialect is most closely related to the eastern and western Rup dialects, but also shares a number of phonological and morphological characteristics with the Rhodopean dialects. Thus, it is usually considered to be transitional between the two 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. The Zlatograd dialect is spoken in the southwestern part of the Eastern Rhodopes, i.e. in the town of Zlatograd
Zlatograd
Zlatograd is a town in Smolyan Province, Southern-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Zlatograd Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,110 inhabitants....
, as well as a number of neighbouring villages and towns, e.g. Nedelino
Nedelino
Nedelino is a town and municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of the Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria. The former name of Nedelino was "Uzundere" which meaning "Long Creek"......
, Kirkovo
Kirkovo
Kirkovo is a village in Kardzhali Province, southern Bulgaria, near the Greek border. The Turkish name Kırkova means "Forty Plains".-External links:*...
, etc. The Zlatograd dialect is most closely related to the eastern and western Rup dialects, but also shares a number of phonological and morphological characteristics with the Rhodopean dialects. Thus, it is usually considered to be transitional between the two groups.
Phonological and morphological characteristics
- The reflex of Old Church Slavonic yat is usually ʲa before a hard syllable and broad e (æ) before a soft syllable: бял/бæли instead of formal Bulgarian бял/бели (white). However, there are also a number of cases where the reflex of yat is ʲa even before a soft syllable: врʲaме vs. formal Bulgarian време. This a feature the Zlatograd dialect shares with the Serres-Nevrokop dialect and certain subdialects of the Thracian dialectThracian dialectThe Thracian dialect is a dialect of the Bulgarian language, member of the Rup or Southeastern Bulgarian dialects. The present range of the dialect includes the regions of Haskovo, Parvomay, Elhovo, Harmanli, Svilengrad, Topolovgrad and Ivaylovgrad...
- a is not transformed into /ɛ/ before a soft syllable: жаба-жаби as in Standard Bulgarian. This is a Western Bulgarian feature separating the Zlatograd dialect from the rest of the Rup dialects
- Individual development of the Old Church Slavonic jers and nasal vowels (as in the Rup dialectsRup dialectsThe 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...
):
- ъ (ə) for Old Church Slavonic (yus) and ъ (ə) (as in Standard Bulgarian) – мъш, сън (man, sleep)
- ɛ for both Old Church Slavonic little yusYusLittle Yus and Big Yus , or Jus, are letters of the Cyrillic script, representing two Common Slavonic nasal vowels in the early Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets. Each can occur in iotified form , formed as ligatures with the letter Decimal I...
() and ь- Articulation of unstressed o as a (as in RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
): кабила vs. formal Bulgarian кобила (mare). This feature is also typical for the Smolyan dialectSmolyan 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...
- Articulation of unstressed o as a (as in Russian
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...
.