Biecz dialect
The Biecz dialect or Pogorzan dialect is a dialect of the Polish language belonging to the Lesser Poland dialect group. It borders the Podegrodzie dialect to the west, the Eastern Krakow dialect to the north, the Lasovia dialect to the northeast, and the Przemyśl dialect to the east.
It is spoken by the Polish Uplanders, who include the West and East Pogorzans, as well as some surrounding ethnographic groups. Historically, it was also spoken by assimilated German settlers in the area known as Forest Germans or Deaf Germans.
Due to its position, Biecz is a very diverse dialect, with unclear northern and western borders, as in recent times the border of areas with mazuration and without has become less distinct.
Phonology
Typical of Lesser Polish dialects, voicing of word-final consonants before vowels and liquids is present here. Also typical of Lesser Polish dialects is the presence of mazuration, however, mazuration here is inconsistent and fading as result of a negative association with dialectal features, now being restricted to specific words. Often ablaut is levelled: uniesła. In parts of this region, o can sometimes front, and then sometimes unround, sounding like e, phonetically near. A few cases of metathesis are recorded: druślok. Somewords have lost a medial syllable as a result of initial stress that was common in Old Polish: płockej.
Vowels
A few instances of eł switch to oł, or less commonly ół: połne, pudołko, kukiołka, Pawół. -ił, -ył shift to -uł, generally in verb forms, particularly the third person singular past: robiuł. -ej shifts to -i and to -y typically in the comparative of adverbs as well as medially in a few words: zdymowały, zdymcie. Regionally e may be inserted in certain consonant clusters: wiater, especially in the prepositions/prefixes w, z.
Slanted vowels
Slanted vowels are typically raised, so á > o, é > y, but ó is often still ó. Vowels also tend to raise before liquids, and the group uN tends to lower óN.
Nasal vowels
Word-medially nasal vowels tend to raise and decompose, except before sibilants, where they only raise; ę > yN, ą > oN, uN. Word finally, ę goes to em and ą decomposes to -om, -um, except in Olszyny, where -ą can denasalize to -o in certain inflections under influence of dialects in Bugaj, Sitnica i Łużna.
Prothesis
Word initial o and rarely u labialize to ô and û, and medial o can labialize after labials and velars. Labialization may be avoided by speakers in formal contexts as there is often a negative association with dialectal features. Initial i, and rarely e and a can have a prothetic j inserted before them; however this is uncommon.
Consonants
-ch shifts to -k in inflections and the particle niek. Inflections may also be realized with -ch, especially on more recent times, where -k is fading. ch may change to k also in certain consonant clusters, particularly chc, chw, and especially chrz. The cluster tch rarely shifts to tf: tfórz. ł often disappears in clusters, particularly after g: zogówek, and also intervocalically: bya. k, t, p, f in a few words are voiced, particularly when next to l: sweder, glizda, blomba. t in consonant clusters can rarely shift to k: krzyźwy. Many reductions of consonant clusters occurs, such as final -ść, -źć > -ś, -ź, -rdł- > -rł-, medial -łn- > -łń-, -stn- > -sn-, -rnk- > -rk-, -śln- > -śń-, -kk- > -k-, -strz- > -szcz-, -zdrz- > -żdż-, -trz- > -cz-, -strz- > -szcz-, and more rarely initial dl- > l-, gdź- > dź-. The group r-z is typically realized as ż, sz: marznie, gorztka. Often s, ś in many words is doubled, and then the doubled s becomes c and śś becomes jś: błosco, w lejsie. Epenthetic -d- is also inserted in a few words. n before velars tends to be assimilated and pronounced velarly as well, even across morpheme boundaries. Syllable final -ń can sometimes be realized as -j: pajstwo, ciyj. The group -jrz- in some verbs is rarely realized as -źr-: uźre. The group sł- shifts to sw- in a few verbs and their derivatives:: swyseć, wyswać /wysywać. -ższ- in certain comparative forms may shift to -ksz-: dłuksy, leksy.
Inflection
Many inflectional patterns common to Lesser Polish dialects are found here.
Nouns
A few nouns have a gender different than in Standard Polish, and a few feminine nouns that typically end in a soft consonant or -i end in -a here: wsza. There is a preference for -a as the masculine singular genitive over -u. An archaic genitive singular -e is regionally kept in feminine soft-stem nouns: ze studnie. -owi as the dative masculine singular can appear in place of -u as a result of hypercorrection: kotowi. A masculine locative singular ending -e can be seen in place of standard -u in soft-stem nouns as a result of mazuration : w kapelusie = w kapeluszu. A masculine nominative plural ending -o can be seen: wójcio, policjancio, muzykancio. -ów can be used for the genitive plural regardless of gender. -ami can replace -mi as the instrumental plural via levelling: liściami.
Adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and numerals
The comparative of adverbs may be -i/-y due to sound changes. Many numerals display particularly different forms: z dwióma chłopokami, dwójko, pięciórko ludzi.
Verbs
The past tense may be formed with -uł instead of -ył/-ił due to sound changes. -aj shifts to -ej in the imperative of verbs. Verbs ending in -nąć in the infinitive often do not have -ną-, -nę- in the past tense: ciągła. A few verbs take a different declension paradigm than in Standard Polish: gwizdom, lubiałam ; and stem-final labials often harden in declensions: złame. The first person singular and third person plural present/future tense are often levelled: mogymy, muszymy. -my may appear instead of -śmy in the first person past plural: jechalimy.
Prepositions and prefixes
The prepositions/prefixes w, z are often extended to we, ze before certain consonant clusters.
Vocabulary
Word-Formation
Many typical Lesser Polish word-formation tendencies are found here.
Nouns
The suffixes -owo, -ino, and less commonly -ka denoting “wife of” attaching to surnames is common here: Karasiowo, Lijanino, Karaśka. The suffix -anka denoting “daughter of” attaching to surnames is also common: Lijanionka. -ok denoting “son of” attaching to surnames is also common: Majfelok. -ok may also be appended to place names meaning “resident of”: bugajok. The feminine equivalent of this is -ónka.
Adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and numerals
Adjectives formed with -aty may be seen here where in Standard Polish might be a different ending: cyrwieniaty, paniaty, and -ni may be seen instead of -ny: tylni. Adjectives and adverbs are more frequently diminutized. Many pronouns and adverbs are formed with -ik, -ok: tutok, dziesik. Indefinite pronouns may be formed with choć- which often assimilates: choćco/chojco:. -k may also be used to create emphatic pronouns and adverbs: tutok.
Verbs
Frequentative verbs are formed with -ować where in Standard Polish is typically -ywać.
Syntax
In the east masculine and non-masculine syntax and declension is often levelled: chłopy siekli.