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 ѣ in a stressed syllable is я before a hard syllable and broad е before a soft syllable. In an unstressed syllable, the reflex is, however, only я.
- Complete loss of x in all positions. It is replaced by either f or v: фулера vs. formal Bulgarian холера
- The masculine definite article is о and у instead of formal Bulgarian –ът/ъ
- Preserved traces of Old Bulgarian ы : сын vs. formal Bulgarian син. This makes the Shumen dialect extremely archaic as is considered to be the original pronunciation of Old Church Slavonic ы
- Transition of a into e after a soft consonant and before a soft syllable: шапка-шепки vs. Standard Bulgarian шапка-шапки
- Large number of o reflexes of Old Church Slavonic ъ in a suffix position and subsequent reduction of o into у: напредук vs. Standard Bulgarian напредък
- Labialisation of и into ʲу: пипер is /pʲupɛr/ vs. Standard Bulgarian /pipɛr/
- Elision of syllables, vowels and consonants, usually in frequently used words: рапта vs. Standard Bulgarian работа
- A large number of lexical peculiarities, e.g. жерка vs. common Bulgarian воденица
- The modern Bulgarian vowel ъ is pronounced as a close /ɯ/, rather than close-mid /ɤ/