Dupnitsa Dialect - Phonological and Morphological Characteristics

Phonological and Morphological Characteristics

• щ/жд (ʃt/ʒd) for Proto-Slavic *tʲ/*dʲ (as in Standard Bulgarian) - леща, между (lentils, between). The future tense particle, however, is че: че че'темe vs. Standard Bulgarian ще четем (we will read)
• Vowel a for Old Bulgarian ѫ (yus): маж vs. formal Bulgarian мъж (man). Limited number of u reflexes of yus (as in the Samokov dialect): мука vs. Standard Bulgarian мъка (sorrow)
• Vowel o for Old Bulgarian ъ in suffixes and prefixes and some roots and a in other roots: сос него vs. Standard Bulgarian със него (with him), бочва vs. Standard Bulgarian бъчва (cask) but вашка vs. Standard Bulgarian въшка (louse)
• Vocalic r for Old Bulgarian ръ/рь instead of the combination ръ/ър (rə/ər) in Standard Bulgarian - дрво instead of дърво (tree).
• The reflex of Old Bulgarian лъ/ль is:

Before non-labial consonants - schwa (ə) in the southern subdialect and vocalic l in the northern subdialect: съза/слза vs. formal Bulgarian сълза

Before labial consonants - u: вуна vs. formal Bulgarian вълна (wool)

• Preserved consonant х (x) in all positions, except the beginning of the word: чух (I heard), оди (walks)
• Verb ending -a in verbs of the first and second conjugation: чет'а vs. formal Bulgarian чет'ъ (I read)
• Adverbial participal on -ейки/айки (as in Standard Bulgarian): играейки (while playing)
• Dynamic stress

For other phonological and morphological characteristics typical for all Southwestern dialects, cf. Southwestern Bulgarian dialects.