Chakavian Dialect - Non-palatal Tsakavism

Non-palatal Tsakavism

Besides the usual Čakavian (with typical pronoun "ča"), in some Adriatic islands and in eastern Istra another special variant is also spoken which lacks most palatals, with other parallel deviations called "tsakavism" (cakavizam):

• palatal "č" is replaced by the sibilant "ts" (c): pronouns ca and zac (or ce and zace).
• palatals š (sh) and ž (zh) are replaced by sibilants s and z (or transitive sj and zj).
• đ (dj), lj and nj are replaced by the simple d, l and n (without iotation).
• Frequent diphthongs instead of simple vowels: o > uo, a > oa, e > i.e., etc.
• Yat (jat): longer y (= ue) exists in addition to the usual short i (or e).
• Appurtenance is often noted by possessive dative (rarely adjective nor genitive)
• Vocative is mostly lacking and replaced by a nominative in appellating construction.
• Auxiliary particles are always before the main verb: se- (self), bi- (if), će- (be).

The largest area of tsakavism is in eastern Istra at Labin, Rabac and a dozen nearby villages; minor mainland enclaves are the towns Bakar and Trogir. Tsakavism is also frequent in Adriatic islands: part of Lošinj and nearby islets, Baška in Krk, Pag town, the western parts of Brač (Milna), Hvar town, and subentire Vis with adjacent islets.

The first two features are similar to Mazurzenie, occurring in a few dialects of Polish, and Tsokanye, occurring in the Old Novgorod dialect of Old East Slavic.