Chwalim dialect

Last updated
Chwalim dialect
Native to Poland
Region Lower Silesia
Language codes
ISO 639-3

The Chwalim dialect (Polish: gwara chwalimska) was a Lechitic dialect spoken up to first half of 20th century in Chwalim in present-day western Poland. Historically, the village belongs to Lower Silesia. Although the dialect features are typical for Silesian, the speakers believed that they were descendants of Sorbs. [1] The dialect is classified as a Silesian dialect, [2] and more specifically, the Lower Silesian dialect group, but displays some Greater Polish influence.

Contents

History

In the 19th century, the inhabitants of Chwalim were believed to be Wends who had migrated there from Lower Lusatia. Nevertheless, Kazimierz Nitsch, because of linguistic features of their dialect, believed that they were Silesians. From his visits to Chwalim in the early 20th century, he learned that the dialect is well-known amongst elder people, while younger people had stopped learning it, instead opting for German, although they still understood it. According to a census in 1910, 117 natives in Chwalim still spoke the so-called "Wendish language". [1]

These speakers were Protestants visiting church in neighbouring town Kargowa and praying with Polish books. [3]

Phonology [4]

The phonological system of the Chwalim dialect has much in common with other Silesian dialects, with some influences from Greater Poland dialects.

Consonants

The consonant system of Chwalim dialect is generally similar to that in Standard Polish, but there is a lack of the postalveolar/retroflex series due to mazuration, which is present in some other Silesian dialects as well. A weak prothetic [h] is usually inserted before initial /i/.

Vowels and diphthongs

Below, the acute accent denotes that the sound is a reflex of the corresponding Old Polish long vowel. It is also difficult to determine whether diphthongized vowels are phonemic diphthongs or not.

Oral vowels: a, e, i, y, o, u, á, é, ó.

Nasal vowels: ã, õ.

Allophony:

Evolution from Old Polish

In the list below, V denotes any vowel, C – any consonant, N – any nasal consonant, ogoneknasal vowel and macronlong vowel.

Grammar [5]

Many features common to Silesian dialects are present in the morphology, but some Sorbian influence may also be observed.

Declension

The most dominant ending for the genitive masculine singular genitive of nouns is -u. An archaic masculine singular dative ending -ewi is preserved after roots ending with soft consonant. The feminine singular accusative is generally formed with -ã.

The masculine and neuter singular genitive of adjectives is formed with the ending -yk from -ēgo, which is the result of Sorbian influence. [2]

Conjugation

Verbs in the infinitive end in -j < -ć and -ś < -ść/-źć. Future forms of być ('to be') have d and simplified into corresponding nasal consonants n, ń as in other Silesian dialects: bãnõm, bãnie, – compare Polish będą, będzie.

Present tense endings are -ą/-ám for the first person singular, -my for the first person plural and -cie for the second person plural. The past tense is constructed from the l-participle and personal pronoun; in singular first person there can be added suffix -ch to personal pronoun ja, which is typical for Silesian: jach tam bół (I was there), jach słysa 'I heard (feminine)', my cytali (we were reading), bółś tam? (have you been there?/were you there (singular)). As in Polish and Silesian, special prefixes inform whether the aspect of the verb is perfective or imperfective. Future tense is constructed with 'to be' in future tense and infinitive form of verb: bãnõm piáj (they will be reading), my bãniemy piáj (we will be reading), or with a present-tense form of a perfective verb.

Conjugations of a few verbs:

Vocabulary [6]

Word (simplified orthography)MeaningNitsch's spellingIPA transcriptionComment
babawifebaba[ˈbäbä]
biáływhiteb́ou̯yi̯[ˈbʲɔwɘ̟i̯]
bibleliturgical booksb́ible[ˈbʲiblɛ]
bulcepotatoesbulce[ˈbult͡s̪ɛ]
cygagoatciga[ˈt͡s̪igä]
dãbôkideepdąbuoḱi[d̪ä̃ˈbu̯ɔkʲi]Sorbian influence. [2]
dugilongduǵi[ˈd̪ugʲi]Comparative form: dlysyi̯ or dusyi̯.
dôśmuch, manydu[d̪u̯ɔɕ]Polish dość means 'enough'.
dziéwcãdaughterʒ́yfcą[ˈd͡ʑɘ̟ft͡s̪ä̃]Polish dziewczę means 'girl'.
gupydumbgupy[ˈgupɘ̟ɪ̯]
jachajto go (with a vehicle)i̯aχai̯[ˈjäxäj]
jegiáłkapini̯eǵou̯ka[jɛˈgʲɔwkä]
jegłaneedlei̯egu̯a[ˈjɛgwä]Charachteristic Silesian word. [2]
jeźdźôrôlakei̯eźʒ́uoruo[jɛʑˈd͡ʑu̯ɔru̯ɔ]Probably influenced by neighbouring Greater Polish dialects.
jezeliifi̯ezeľi[jɛˈz̪ɛlʲi]This word is used also to make questions. Thus, it replaced semantically Standard Polish czy.
knepabuttonknepa[ˈkn̪ɛpä]
kôkôtroosterkuokuot[ˈku̯ɔku̯ɔt̪]
latôśthis yearlatu[ˈlät̪u̯ɔɕ]
mayesma[mä]
miałkishallowḿau̯kȯ (feminine form)[ˈmʲäwkʲi]
miãskajto live; to reside (somewhere)ḿąskai̯[ˈmʲä̃s̪käj]
nacõjto beginnacǫi̯[ˈn̪ät͡s̪ɔ̃j]
nienońe[ɲɛ]
nimiecProtestantńiḿec[ˈɲimʲɛt͡s̪]Polish Niemiec means 'German (man)'.
ôbiérajto collect, to gatheru̯ɔb́yrai̯[u̯ɔˈbʲɘ̟räj]Polish uses prefix z-: zbierać.
ôciéńshadowu̯oćyń[ˈu̯ɔt͡ɕɘ̟ɲ]
ónheu̯yn[u̯ɘ̟n̪]
páraa fewrą (accusative form)[ˈpou̯rä]Polish para means 'pair, two of something'.
piájto readṕoi̯[pʲɔj]Semantic change from 'to sing' to 'to sing with a liturgical book' to 'to read from a liturgical book' to ultimately 'to read'.
pôdwórekyardpuodvůy̯rek[pu̯ɔd̪ˈvu̞ɵ̯rɛk]
psołabeepsou̯a[ˈps̪ɔwä]
saheresa[s̪ä]Greater Polish influence.
siachtaboxśaχta[ˈɕäxt̪ä]
skło, sklanôglass bottlesku̯o, sklanuo[s̪ku̯ɔ], [ˈs̪klänu̯ɔ]
stáragrandmastȯ[ˈs̪t̪ou̯rou̯]Polish stara is feminine form for 'old'.
stárygrandpastȯryi̯[ˈs̪t̪ou̯rɘ̟i̯]Polish stary is masculine form for 'old'.
tatafathertata[ˈt̪ät̪ä]
teránowterȯ[ˈt̪ɛrou̯]
ôlicadooru̯oľica[u̯ɔˈlʲit͡s̪ä]Polish ulica means 'street'. The semantic change probably influenced by southern Greater Polish dialects.
wadzi sieto arguevaʒ́i śe[ˈväd͡ʑi‿ɕɛ]
wielgibigv́elǵi[ˈvʲɛlgʲi]
zajitrôday after tomorrowzai̯itruo[z̪äˈjitru̯ɔ]
zawrzyjto closezavžyi̯[ˈz̪ävʒ̺ɘ̟j]
zegierclockzeǵer[ˈz̪ɛgʲɛr]
zielazôironźelazuo[ʑɛˈläzu̯ɔ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polabian language</span> Revitalized Slavic language

The Polabian language, also known as Drevanian–Polabian language, Drevanian language, and Lüneburg Wendish language, is a West Slavic language that was spoken by the Polabian Slavs in present-day northeastern Germany around the Elbe, from which the term Polabian comes from. It was spoken approximately until the rise to power of Prussia in the mid-18th century – when it was superseded by Low German – in the areas of Pomoré, central (Mittelmark) part of Branibor (Brandenburg) and eastern Saxony-Anhalt, as well as in eastern parts of Wendland and Dravänia (Schleswig-Holstein), Ostholstein and Lauenburg). Polabian was also relatively long spoken in and around the cities of Bukovéc (Lübeck), Starigard (Oldenburg) and Trava (Hamburg). The very poorly attested Slavic dialects of Rügen seemed to have had more in common with Polabian than with Pomeranian varieties. In the south, it bordered on the Sorbian language area in Lusatia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Bavarian</span> Bavarian dialect

Northern Bavarian is a dialect of Bavarian, together with Central Bavarian and Southern Bavarian. Bavarian is mostly spoken in the Upper Palatinate, although not in Regensburg, which is a primarily Central Bavarian–speaking area, according to a linguistic survey done in the late 1980s. According to the same survey, Northern Bavarian is also spoken in Upper Franconia, as well as in some areas in Upper and Lower Bavaria, such as in the areas around Eichstätt and Kelheim. Few speakers remained in the Czech Republic, mostly concentrated around Aš and Železná Ruda, at the time of the survey, but considering the time which has passed since the survey, the dialect may be extinct in those places today. If it still exists there, it would include the ostegerländische Dialektgruppe. Ethnologue estimates that there were 9,000 speakers of Bavarian in the Czech Republic in 2005, but does not clarify if these were Northern Bavarian speakers.

Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550, there was no overarching standard language, but all dialects were mutually intelligible. During that period, a rich Medieval Dutch literature developed, which had not yet existed during Old Dutch. The various literary works of the time are often very readable for speakers of Modern Dutch since Dutch is a rather conservative language.

Middle Polish is the period in the history of the Polish language between the 16th and 18th centuries. It evolved from Old Polish, and gave rise to Modern Polish.

This article describes the grammar of the Old Irish language. The grammar of the language has been described with exhaustive detail by various authors, including Thurneysen, Binchy and Bergin, McCone, O'Connell, Stifter, among many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Poland dialect group</span> Dialect of the Polish language

Greater Poland dialect group is a dialect group of the Polish language used in the Greater Poland. It is used in the area, on the south from the cities of Koło, Kalisz, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Rawicz, and Babimost, from the west from Międzychód and Krzyż Wielkopolski, and along the line of the rivers of Noteć and Warta.

The Kociewie dialect belongs to the Greater Poland dialect group and is located in the northern part of Poland. It borders the Bory Tucholskie dialect to the northwest, the Chełmno-Dobrzyń dialect to the south, the Kashubian language to the north, and the Masovian Lubawa dialect to the northeast. Due to its position, the Kociewie dialect sometimes shares more features with Masovian dialects than with Greater Polish dialects, and is usually considered a transitional dialect, and some Kashubian influence can also be seen.

The Krajna dialect belongs to the Greater Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Bory Tucholskie dialect to the northeast, the Northern Greater Polish dialect to the south, and the Kashubian language to the north. Due to its position, it is a transitional dialect and shares many features with neighboring dialects and languages, and is very diverse.

The Kuyavuan dialect belongs to the Greater Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Chełmno-Dobrzyń dialect to the north, the Northern Greater Polish dialect to the west, the Eastern Greater Polish dialect to the south, the Masovian Near Mazovian dialect to the northwest and the Łęczyca dialect to the southeast.

The Eastern Greater Poland dialect belongs to the Greater Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Kujawy dialect to the north, the Central Greater Polish dialect to the east, and the Lesser Poland Łęczyca dialect to the northwest and the Sieradz dialect to the southwest.

The Masovian Borderland dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Kielce dialect to the south, the Łęczyca dialect to the east, the Western Lublin dialect, Masovian Łowicz dialect to the northeast, and the Near Mazovian dialect to the north. Similar to Łęczyca and Sieradz, influences from many dialect regions can be seen here.

The Kraków dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Sieradz dialect to the north, the Kielce dialect to the northeast, the Eastern Kraków dialect to the east, the Sącz dialect to the south, and Silesian to the west. Scholars often debate about the northern and western borders of this dialect. This dialect is slowly losing many features and replacing them with those from Standard Polish.

The dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Kielce dialect to the north, the Lasovia dialect to the east, the Biecz dialect to the southeast, the Sącz dialect to the south, and the Kraków dialect to the west.

The Western Lublin dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Eastern Lublin dialect to the east, the Lasovia dialect to the south, the Kielce dialect to the west, and the Masovia Near Mazovian dialect to the north. Due to position of this dialect, many transitional features can be seen, generally as the result of Masovian influence, particularly in the east. This region can be divided into three subregions: a northern region which is more transitional between Lesser Poland and Masovia, a central region with older Lesser Polish traits, and a southern region with newer Lesser Polish traits.

The Przemyśl dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Biecz dialect to the west, the Lasovia dialect to the northwest, the Eastern Lublin dialect to the northeast, and the Southern Borderlands dialect to the east.

The Podegrodzie dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Krakow dialect to the northwest, the Eastern Krakow dialect to the northeast, the Biecz dialect to the east, the Piwniczna dialect to the southeast, and the Łącko dialect to the southwest. The region is generally split into east and west, and is characterized by having one reflex of the nasal vowels in three regions. Some residents here often do not consider themselves Gorals, but Lachs, particularly in the Podegrodzie region. Others consider themselves Gorals. Historically, Lemkos were also found here. Sądecka is considered a transitional dialect between Goral dialects and sub-Krakovian (Krakowskie) dialects, and features from this region have spread to many nearby regions, namely the feature that ę and ą have merged into nasal ǫ, which is then denasalized.

The Żywiec dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It is in part one of the dialects that belongs to the Goral ethnolect. It borders the Sącz dialect to the northeast, the Orawa dialect to the east, and Silesian to the northwest. In the past this region was often considered a subregion of neighboring areas, having been much affected by them, as well as by foreign languages, namely Czech, Slovak, German, Carpathian Rusyn, and Hungarian. Żywiecczyzna is a strongly varied dialect and is able to be divided into three regions: a south-east region, a south-west region, and a northern region.

The Ostróda dialect belongs to the Masovian dialect group, but is sometimes considered part of the new mixed dialects, and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Lubawa dialect to the west, the Masurian dialects to the south, the Warmia dialect to the east, and the new mixed dialects to the north.

The Warmia dialect belongs to the Masovian dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Ostróda dialect to the west, the Masurian dialects to the south, and the new mixed dialects to the east and north.

The Near Mazovian dialect belongs to the Masovian dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Łowicz dialect to the southwest, the Lesser Polish Masovian Borderland dialect to the south, the Western Lublin dialect to the southeast, the Podlachia dialect to the east, the Far Mazovian dialect to the north, the Greater Polish Chełmno-Dobrzyń dialect to the northwest, the Kujawy dialect to the west, and the Lesser Polish Sieradz dialect to the southwest.

References

  1. 1 2 Nitsch 1958, pp. 171–177.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nitsch 1958, pp. 183–188.
  3. Nitsch 1958, pp. 172–173.
  4. Nitsch 1958, pp. 177–179.
  5. Nitsch 1958, pp. 179–180.
  6. Nitsch 1958, pp. 180–183.

Bibliography