Shumen dialect

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

* The reflex of Old Church Slavonic Unicode|ѣ in a stressed syllable is я (IPA|ʲa) before a hard syllable ("бIPA|ʲaл") and broad е (IPA|æ) before a soft syllable ("бIPA|æли"). In an unstressed syllable, the reflex is, however, only я (IPA|ʲa): "врIPA|ʲaме'на" vs. formal Bulgarian "време'на" (times)
* Complete loss of x IPA|/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 IPA|(ɨ): "сын" vs. formal Bulgarian "син" (blue). This makes the Shumen dialect extremely archaic as IPA|(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 IPA|ʲу: "пIPA|ʲупер" 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.

ources

Стойков, Стойко: Българска диалектология, Акад. изд. "Проф. Марин Дринов", 2006, с. 105-106 [http://www.promacedonia.org/jchorb/st/st_2_b_izt_1.htm#shumenski]