Buzet dialect
The Buzet dialect is a sub-dialect of the Chakavian dialect in Croatia. It is spoken in northern Istria around Buzet.
The Buzet dialect is a natural transition between Chakavian, Kajkavian and the Slovenian language. Initially some considered it part of the Kajkavian language area, in the past it was also classified as a Slovene dialect, but other linguists, including Mieczysław Małecki and Pavle Ivić among others, managed to rightly define it as Chakavian and part of the literary Serbo-Croatian language.
The primary features that separate the Buzet dialect from the rest of the Chakavian dialects are in the development of the Common Slavic vocalism:
- */ě/ > /ẹ/
- */e/, */ę/ > opened e
- */u/ > /ü/
- syllabic */l/ > /u/
- */ǫ/ > /a/
As far as the division of Chakavian dialects in Southeastern and Northwestern is concerned, Buzet dialect belongs to Northwestern Chakavian. The Buzet dialect can be divided into two sub-dialects, Northern and Southern.