Solun-Voden dialect

The Solun-Voden dialectfact|date=September 2008, Lower Vardar dialect [Romanski, St. Долновардарският говор. — Мак. преглед, 1932, № 1, 99—140] , or Kukush-Voden dialect is a South Slavic dialect spoken in parts of the Greek periphery of Central Macedonia, and the vicinity of Gevgelija and Dojran in the Republic of Macedonia. It has been treated as part of both Macedonian [Božidar Vidoeski, Фонолошкиот систем на говорот на селото Чеган (Воденско): инвентар на фонолошките единици. МЈ, 1978, XXIX, стр. 61-73. ] and Bulgariancite book |title=Българска диалектология (Bulgarian dialectology)|last=Стойков (Stoykov)|first=Стойко |authorlink=Stoyko Stoykov |origyear=1962 |year=2002 |location=София |publisher=Акад. изд. "Проф. Марин Дринов" |language=Bulgarian |url=http://www.promacedonia.org/jchorb/st/index.htm |isbn=9544308466 |oclc=53429452] dialectology.

Dialect area

The dialect is named after the local Slavic toponyms for the cities of Solun (Thessaloniki), Voden (Edessa) and Kukush (Kilkis), or after the river Vardar. In terms of Macedonian dialectology, the dialect is classified as a member of the south-eastern subgroup of the Eastern and Southern group of Macedonian dialectsfact|date=September 2008, spoken in an area that also covers Veria (Ber), Giannitsa, [ [author missing] . Акцентските системи во македонските дијалекти во Грција (Еѓејска Македонија) и Јужна Албанија. МЈ, 1985-1986, XXXVI-XXXVII, стр. 19-45.] and the towns of Dojran and Gevgelija in the Republic of Macedoniafact|date=September 2008.

In terms of Bulgarian dialectology, Solun dialect is an separate Eastern Bulgarian dialect, spoken in the northern part of what is now Thessaloniki Prefecture in Greece. Solun and Drama-Ser dialects are grouped as western Rup dialects, part of the large Rup dialect massif of Rhodopes and Thrace which are transitory between the Western and Eastern Bulgarian dialects. The dialect spoken around Voden and Kukush, as well as in the region of the Lower Vardar, to the west of Solun, is characterized as Western Bulgarian Kukush-Voden dialect, which demonstrates some connections with Eastern Bulgarian dialects, like the reduction and absorption of unstressed vowels, and retention of the sound "h". [Mladenov, Stefan. Geschichte der bulgarischen Sprache, Berlin-Leipzig, 1929, § 209.]

Phonological characteristics

*Retention of Proto-Slavic nasal vowels (in the region north-east of Solun): rə ̃kа [All examples are in IPA transcription] (mk:raka, bg:rəka), skɤ ̃p (mk:skap, bg:skɤp), pɛ ̃tuk (mk:pɛtok, bg:pɛtək), tʃɛ ̃du (bg, mk:tʃɛdo).

*Retention of vowels ɤ (stressed) or ə (unstressed) which come from Old Church Slavonic ѫ: vəʒa (bg:vəʒɛ), vətuk (bg:vətɤk), gɤska (bg:gɤska), dəga (bg:dəga), zəbi (bg:zəbi), mɤka (bg:mɤka), mɤʃ (bg:mɤʒ), pɤrt (bg:prɤt), pɤt (bg:pɤt), prɤtʃki (bg:prɤtʃki), sɤbuta (bg:sɤbɔta), gɤsɔk (bg:gɤsɔk), gɤsɛnitsa (bg:gɤsɛnitsa), mɤtɛnitsa (bg:mɤtɛnitsa). Less often the vowel u occurs instead of ɤ: kuca (bg:kɤʃta, mk:kuca), kusa (bg:kɤsa), pupka (bg:pɤpka).

*Vowel ɔ replaces Old Church Slavonic ъ: bɔtʃva (bg:bɤtʃva), vɔpka, vɔʃka (bg:vɤʃka), dɔʃ (bg:dɤʒd), zɔlva (bg:zɤlva), sɔn (bg:sɤn), takɔf (bg:takɤv), vətɔk (bg:vətɤk), vɔsɔk (bg:vɔsək)(but also: vətuk, vɔsuk).

*A very important characteristic is the reduction of the wide (unstressed) vowels. This occurs most often in the middle or the beginning of words: ɔ reduces to u — udinitsa (bg:vɔdɛnitsa), mutuvilka (bg:mɔtɔvilka), tutʃilo (bg:tɔtʃilo), usnɔva (bg:ɔsnɔva), uftʃar (bg:ɔvtʃar), usten (bg:ɔsten), utset (bg:ɔtset); ɛ reduces to i — zilɛn, pitɛl, nɛbitɔ, dɛvir, ʒɛnin, molits; a reduces to ə — pəzartʃin, pəspal, kɔmər, kɔkəl, tʃɤrgəta, mandrəta. In some morphological categories this reduction develops further into absorption of the unstressed wide vowels: ɔktɔ (bg:ɔkɔtɔ), litstɔ (bg:litsɛtɔ), duvitsta (bg:vdɔvitsata), grədinta (bg:gradinata), tuvarmɛ (bg:tɔvarimɛ), tuvartɛ (bg:tɔvaritɛ), katʃmɛ (bg:katʃimɛ).

*Generally, the consonant h is retained: in the end of words — vlah, grah, urɛh, strah, suh, vərnah, kəʒah, nusih; in the middle of words — muhlɛsinu, təhtəbita, bohtʃa, sɛdɛha, biha, tərtʃaha. However, in the beginning of words h is often omitted: arnɔ, arman, iʎada, itʃ, ɔrɔ, lɛp.

*The palatals c, jc, ɟ, jɟ predominate over the Old Church Slavonic diphtongs ʃt and ʒd : nɔc, cɛrka, prifacum, nejcum, lɛjca (mk:lɛjca, bg:lɛʃta), sfɛjca (mk:sfɛjca, bg:svɛʃt), plajcaʃɛ (mk: plajcaʃɛ, bg:plaʃtaʃɛ); vɛɟi (mk:vɛɟi ,bg:vɛʒdi), mɛɟa, saɟa, miɟu, mɛjɟa, sajɟi. In some cases, however, the diphtongs ʃt, ʒd are retained: gaʃti, lɛʃta, guvɛʒdo, prɛʒda.

Morphological characteristic

*Definite article -ut, -u for masculine gender: vratut, dɛput, zɛtut, sɔnut, sinut, krumidut, nərodut, ubrazut; ɔginu, guʃtəru, vɛtɛru.

*Definite article -to for plural: bugərɛto, kamənɛto, tsigajnɛto, vulɔvɛto, kojnɛto.

*A single common suffix -um for all three verb present tense conjugations: ɔrum, tsɛpum, pasum, vikum, glɛdum, brɔjum.

*Suffix -m for 1st person singular present tense: pijum, stojum, jadum, ɔdum.

Other specific characteristics

*Enclytic at the beginning of the sentence: "Mu gɔ" klava petʃatut. "Si ja" goreʃe furnata.
*Single short form mu for masculine, neutral, feminine, and plural pronouns: Na baba ce "mu" nɔsum da jədɛ (I'll take something for my grandma to eat). Na starite "mu" ɛ mɤtʃnɔ (It is hard for old people). Na nih "mu" davum jadɛjne (I give it/him/them a meal).
*Use of the preposition u instead of the preposition vo :"vo" selo → "u" selo (in village)
*Use of the preposition ut instead of ot : "ut" Solun → "od" Solun (from/of Solun). This is because "ɔ" in "ɔt" when combined with the next word becomes a wide (unstressed) vowel which undergoes reduction (see Phonological characteristics).

Typical Words

*"žarba" (bg,mk:ʒaba) - frog
*"šarino" (bg,mk:ʃareno) - coloured
*"kutʃja" (bg,mk:kutʃɛ) - dog
*"kušta" (bg,mk:dom, mk:kukja) - home
*"druguš" (bg:drug put, mk:drug pat) - another time
*"vɔpka"

References