Middle Dnieprian Dialect

Middle Dnieprian dialect () is a dialect of Ukrainian language spoken in the historical region of Dnieper Ukraine. Linguistically it belongs to the Southeastern group of Ukrainian dialects. Middle Dnieprian is spoken in southern parts of Kyiv region, southwestern parts of Sumy region, in most of the territory of Cherkasy and Poltava regions, as well as in northern parts of Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The territory where the dialect is widespread borders Central and Eastern Polesian dialects in the north, Slobozhan dialect in the east, Steppe dialect in the south, as well as Podolian and Volhynian dialects in the west. Structurally Middle Dnieprian dialect is close to standard literary Ukrainian language.

Main features

* change of unstressed vowels � �(селó eˈɫɔ пóпил �pɔpɪɫ пóгриб �pɔɦrɪb, in some varieties � �(тапéр ɐˈpɛr манé ɐˈnɛ; � (before stressed syllable with � об’íд �ˈbʲid муги́ла uˈɦɪɫɐ;
* transition of original into �or � либодá �ɪboˈda лескотáти �eskoˈtate пагáний ɐˈɦanei̯ ганчáр �ɐnˈt͡ʃar
* nasalized � (колóдíз’ ɔˈɫɔdʲizʲ, � (хрон rɔn;
* use of prothetic consonants � ворáти ɔˈrate Гадéса (Odesa), йіроплáн (''aeroplane''); alternatively, elimination of word-initial consonants in some roots: орóх �ˈrɔx(standard Ukrainian pronunciation - горох �ɔˈrɔx;
* palatalization in consonants followed by (except some Right-bank subdialects);
* presence of palatalized ʲ ͡sʲ ʲ in some varieties also �ʲ �ʲ ͡ʃʲ(before : р’áма �rʲamɐ гр’ад �rʲad гончáр’ �ɔnˈt͡ʃarʲ лош’а �ɔˈʃʲa волóч’ат’ �ɔˈɫɔt͡ʃʲɐtʲ
* transition of ͡z (звін ʋʲin зéркало �zɛrkɐɫɔ, but in some varieties the opposite process takes place (дз’аб ͡zʲab дзалéний ͡zɐˈɫɛnei̯; ͡ʒ �(хóжу �xɔʒu сижý eˈʒu; � �(дзи́га �d͡zɪɦɐ гýдзик �ɦud͡zɪk; ʋ ʋ � (квартýх ʋɐrˈtux хвáбрика �xʋabrekɐ хóрма �xɔrmɐ;
* varying evolution of labial consonant + j: preservation (свйáто �sʋjatɔ жáбйачий �ʒabjɐt͡ʃei̯; loss of with palatalization of the preceding consonant (жаб’ачий �ʒabʲɐt͡ʃei̯ or without it (свати́й ʋɐˈtɪi̯; replacement of with epenthetic ʲ(полумн’а �pɔɫʊmnʲɐ мн’акий nʲɐˈkɪi̯;
* change of n n ͡ʃn �n рíмний �rʲimnei̯ помішни́к omʲiʃˈnɪk
* in some words ʲ ʲ к’існи́й isˈnɪi̯ к’íсто �cistɔ
* in some Left-bank varieties consonants are devoiced before other unvoiced consonants or in word-final position: одказати tkɐˈzate
* in some varieties nouns are declined according to rules of the "hard" group: товáришові, кон’óві, гáйом, топóл’ойу;
* ending -и in genitive of single feminine nouns: сóли, рáдости;
* alternative endings of feminine plural nouns in genitive: баб - бабíў, сестéр - сестри́ў, стріх - стрíхоў etc.;
* parallel forms of pronouns та, ц’а in genitive and instrumental cases: тóйі, тéйі, тíйі - тійéйі; тíйу, тóйу, тéйу - тійéйу; forms йім, на йóму, на йій are more frequently used than ним, на ній;
* parallel forms of possessive adjectives: мáтерини, материн’і;
* parallel forms of infinitive: ходи́ти, ходи́т’;
* in some varieties verbs in 3rd person present and future tense have parallel forms: хóде, хóдит’;
* parallel forms of 1st declension verbs in 3rd person singular with -j stem: слýха, зна - слýхайе, знáйе;
* alternative endings of verbs in plural: вóз’ат’ - вóз’ут’, тóч’ат’ - тóч’ут’;
* two forms of future tense: бýду роби́ти, робитиму.

Subdialects

Northern subdialects

Northern Middle Dnieprian varieties are distinguished by following features:
* lack of transition in the etymological воз �ɔz кóстка �kɔstkɐ порóг oˈrɔɦ рáдост’ �radosʲtʲ(standard literary Ukrainian - віз �ʲiz кістка �kʲistkɐ поріг oˈrʲiɦ радість �radʲisʲtʲ;
* lack of prothetic consonants: узóл �ˈzɔɫ ýхо �uxɔ(standard Ukrainian - вузол �wuzɔɫ вухо �wuxɔ;
* prevalence of ending -у in dative of masculine single nouns: дýбу, гáйу (in other Middle Dnieprian varieties forms дубові, гаєві are prevalent);
* widespread usage of shortened adjective forms: краси́ви, молоди́ (standard Ukrainian - красивий, молодий);
* differing accentuation in certain words: рунó, см’іт’:á.

Eastern Poltava subdialects

Eastern Poltava subdialects have following distinguishing features:
* change of into � чоботе �t͡ʃɔbɔtɛ before a stressed syllable - into мінí ʲiˈnʲi(standard Ukrainian - чоботи �t͡ʃɔbɔte мені eˈnʲi;
* presence of alveolar бул.á ʊˈla мол.окó ɔlɔˈkɔ ходи́л.и ɔˈdɪle(standard Ukrainian - була ʊˈɫa молоко ɔɫɔˈkɔ ходили ɔˈdɪɫe;
* endings -ім, -ix in dative and locative case of plural nouns with stress on the word stem: кóнім, на кóніх (standard Ukrainian - коням, на конях); parallel endings -ові, -ат-ові in dative of singular nouns with t-base: тел’óві, тел’áтові (standard Ukrainian - теляті);
* "soft" declension of adjectives: чóрн’ій, б’íл’íй, на гáрн’іх (standard Ukrainian - чорний, білий, на гарних);
* infinitives ending with unpalatalized ходи́т (in other Middle Dnieprian varieties - ходити, ходить).

Right-bank subdialects

Right-bank subdialects exhibit the following distinguishing features:
* lack of palatalization in consonants followed by
* differing accentuation in certain pronouns and numerals: мóго, твóго, тóго, однóго; stress on endings of verbs підé — підéм; parallel variants of accentuation in some nouns дрóва — дровá.

Southern subdialects

Southern Middle Dnieprian subdialects are distinguished by following features:
* differing accentuation in some words: вузóл ʊˈzɔɫ(standard Ukrainian - вýзол �wuzɔɫ;
* preservation of d tin single verb forms of 1st person: вóд’ý ɔˈdʲu крут’ý rʊˈtʲu(standard Ukrainian - воджу ɔˈd͡ʒu кручу rʊˈt͡ʃu.

Lexical features

Some words typical for Middle Dnieprian dialect are:

In literature

Features of Middle Dnieprian dialect are present in historical and folklore sources, as well as in works by Ukrainian authors such as Ivan Kotliarevsky, Taras Shevchenko, Yevhen Hrebinka, Panas Myrny, Hryhir Tiutiunnyk and others.

References

{{Ukrainian language
Ukrainian dialects