Dalecarlian language

Dalecarlian (dalmål in Swedish) is a group of dialects spoken in Dalarna County, Sweden. In the northernmost part of the county (i.e., the originally Norwegian parishes of Särna and Idre), a characteristic dialect reminiscent of eastern Norwegian is spoken. Otherwise, the different Dalecarlian dialects can be regarded as part of the Swedish dialect group in Gästrikland, Uppland, and northern and eastern Västmanland. They also show some similarities with the dialects of the other counties bordering Dalarna. One usually distinguishes between the Dalecarlian mountain dialects, which are spoken in south-eastern Dalarna, and Dalecarlian proper.[1]

Dalecarlian
dalmål
Native toSweden
RegionDalarna County
EthnicityDalecarlians (Swedes)
Early form
Dialects
Latin (Dalecarlian alphabet)
Dalecarlian runes
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
Individual code:
ovd – Elfdalian
Glottologdale1238

Geographical distribution of Dalecarlian proper

Dalecarlian dialects are generally classified geographically:

  • Ovansiljan, north of the Siljan lake: sockens Ore, Orsa, Våmhus, Älvdalen (Elfdalian dialect), Mora, Venjan, Sollerön.
  • Nedansiljan, south of the Siljan lake: sockens Boda, Rättvik, Bjursås, Ål, Siljansnäs, Leksand, Gagnef.
  • Upper Västerdalarna: sockens Lima, Transtrand.
  • Lower Västerdalarna: sockens Malung, Äppelbo, Järna, Nås, Floda, the parishes of Mockfjärd in Gagnefs socken.
  • Floda and Mockfjärd can be considered a separate group.

Dalecarlian proper (especially in Älvdalen, Mora and Orsa, to some extent also in Ore, Rättvik and Leksand), as well as western Dalecarlian are markedly different from other Swedish dialects. Elfdalian is the one of the Dalecarlian dialects that best kept their older features. This dialect attracted interest form researchers early on, as it deviated very significantly from other Swedish dialects. In many ways, it is very archaic. In other ways, it has distinguished itself from the ancient language and developed special features that are rare in other languages. A characteristic for the "Dalecarlian dialect" is a pronunciation split in a number of easily distinguishable local dialects, which often only cover a single village or even part of a village.

For strangers, Dalecarlian is virtually incomprehensible without special studies. However, this does not apply to the same extent with the Rättvik and Leksand dialects. They are more easily understood and can be considered to form a transition from the more archaic dialects. Such transition tongues are also the tongues of Ål, Bjursås and Gagnef. The Gagnef dialect approaches the western Dalecarlian dialects, which to some extent can also be regarded as transitional dialects, but which in many respects take on a more independent position, especially in the upper parishes. They may show similarities with neighbouring Norwegian dialects.

There is a quite large difference between Gagnef and the Stora Tuna dialect, which belongs to the Dalarna mountain dialects, a relatively uniform and fairly normal Swedish dialect complex that covers the entire southern Dalarna (Stora Kopparberg, Hedemora and Västerbergslagen). The most unique within this complex are the Svärdsjö and western mountain dialects, which are approaching Hälsingemål and the western Dalecarlian language (over Grangärde and Floda). Mountain dialects are also spoken in the northern part of Västmanland. The mountain dialects are quite closely connected with the neighbouring Uppsala dialects, perhaps most with Eastern Västmanland's dialects.

In everyday speech, many with Dalecarlian often also refer to regionally coloured "national languages" from Dalarna, that is, a lexically and morphologically "national" Swedish with characteristic Dalarna intonation and prosody. In linguistics, one distinguishes between regionally coloured national languages and genuine dialects, and Dalecarlian is used exclusively for dialects in the latter sense.

Dalecarlian phonology

As with most dialects in northern and central Sweden, the Dalecarlian dialects have a supradental heavy-r and a cacuminal (with the tip of the tongue towards the trough) have thick-l. However, superdental numbers are more limited than usual, for example, rs often becomes ss (for example, Dalecarlian koss, Swedish kors, English cross), rn in southern Dalarna becomes r (for example, Dalecarlian bar, Swedish barn, English child, Dalecarlian björ, Swedish björn, English bear, up to and including Rättvik, Leksand and Västerdalarna). In Dalecarlian proper is often nn, and rt, rd preserved without assimilation (from Gagnef northwards). l is not usually cachuminal after i and e, except in Dalecarlian proper, which in the case of l has gone its own way and can even partially use cachuminal l at the beginning of words, for example låta. Dalecarlian has, in the usual way, lost -n and, as a rule, -t in unstressed endings, for example, Dalecarlian sola or sole, Swedish solen, English sun, Dalecarlian gâtu, Swedish gatan, English street, Dalecarlian biti, Swedish bitit, English bitten. Like other Upper Swedish dialects, they often have i in endings for the national languages e, for example Dalecarlian funnin, Swedish funnen, English found, Dalecarlian muli, Swedish mulet, English cloudy, Dalecarlian härvil, Swedish härvel, English härvel (winding yarn on), has g-sounds, not j, in rg and lg, for example Dalecarlian and Swedish varg, English wolf, long vowel in front of m in many words, where the national language has short, for example Dalecarlian tima, Swedish timme, English hour, Dalecarlian töm, Swedish tom, English empty. j has not disappeared without trace after k, g in words such as Dalecarlian äntja, Swedish änka, English widow, Dalecarlian bryddja, Swedish brygga, English bridge. As in the northern Swedes and in the northern dialects, g, k have also been softened to tj, (d) j, for example Dalecarlian sättjin or sättjen, Swedish säcken, English bag, Dalecarlian botja or botje Swedish boken, English book, Dalecarlian nyttjil, Swedish nyckel, English key. These traits characterise all Dalecarlian dialects.

Characteristic of the vocal system in especially Upper Dalarna, with the exception of Dalecarlian proper, is the use of open and end a, which is used in a completely different way than in the national language: the open can occur as far and the closed as short, for example hara hare with open a in first, end in second syllable, katt, bakka, vagn with end, skabb, kalv with open a; open å sound (o) is often replaced by a sound between å and ö; The u sound has a sound similar to the Norwegian u; ä and e are well separated; the low-pitched vocals often have a sound of ä. Among the most interesting features of the dialects in Älvdalen, Mora and Orsa is that they still largely retain the nasal vocal sounds that were previously found in all Nordic dialects. Furthermore, it is noticed that the long i, y, u diphthongs, usually to ai, åy, au, for example Dalecarlian ais, Swedish is English ice, Dalecarlian knåyta, Swedish knyta, English tie, Dalecarlian aute, Swedish ute, English out. v has the Old Norse pronunciation w (like w in English),[2] l is usually omitted in front of g, k, p, v, for example, Dalecarlian kåv, Swedish kalv, English calf, Dalecarlian fok and such Swedish folk, English folk, people. h is omitted, for example, Dalecarlian and, Swedish and English hand (in the Älvdals-, Orsa- and Mora dialects, as well as in Rättvik and parts of Leksand). In the same way, many words have been added as h:n such as häven, hälsklig, hägde. These features have the common Dalecarlian in common with the older Uppland dialects.

A pair of old Nordic diphthongs remain in the western Dalecarlian dialects of Lima and Transtrand. The diphthong au, which in standard Swedish has the pronouciation ö, has in these areas a slightly changed form, ôu, for example dôu (Swedish död, English death). The old Swedish diphthongs ei and öy (which in Swedish became e and ö respectively) are pronouced äi, for example skäi (Swedish sked, English spoon) and here (Swedish hö, English hay), respectively.[3]

Dalecarlian morphology

In the morphology in southern Dalarna (mainly in the bergslagsmål), weak feminine forms are noticed. on - u: vikku vecka, flugu fluga, ladu or lädu lada (on the other hand bryddja, if the stem has a long vowel), weak masculine forms on - a: hara, staka, bakka. Definite forms are masculine båtn båten, ryddjin (south Dalarna to Gagnef) or ryddjen ryggen, feminine forms sola, botja (southern Dalarna through parts of Leksand and Västerdalarna), sole, botje ("dalmål"), masculine forms haran or harn haren, feminine forms vicku veckan, neutre forms huse huset, tatji (southern Dalarna to Gagnef) or tatje taket; indefinite plural masculine forms and strong feminine -är, for example hestär hästar (less often hestar), socks parishes, priests (el. priests) priests, weak five . - from (most southern Dalarna), for example flickering girls, neutr. tak tak, ditjen dikes (d: o). Best. plur. the horse (ä), the priest (ä) (southern Dalarna up against Tuna and Falun) el. the horse (north of Falun), the sock (ä) el. socknan, flicker (ä) (south D.), flikkun or flickkon (northern).

In Upper Dalarna, the declension has developed a peculiar development, in particular through the coincidence of different types of declension. In parts of Gagnef, for example, almost all nouns have the same inflection in plur: "" chorus "" men, "" chick "" girls, "" baror "" children, "" apple laurel "" apples; Requests. f. the guy, the flick, the baran, the apple . Instead, at least the "valley tongue" (including parts of Leksand and Djura) and the western valley tongues have preserved the old case-inflection, in particular the dative forms, for example "" in bu (d) about "" and d. In the sheds. (Also, otherwise, these many age-old features in terms of word-bending - as in the sound system - show, but these are not described here.)

In the adjective inflection in southern Dalarna, plural is used without endings, for example all hands all hands, many walks many times, adj. on - in: rolin calm, on u (g): toku (g) tokig. Me, you, are usually called ""mug, dough, say"", ""springtime, andråm"" (southern Dalarna) are five. of ours, another. Verbs often lose - a in infinitive, for example running race, tar horses. Caste and similar verbs have in the present chestnut as well as encounter encounter. The imperfect is usually called throw. It is called where, where electricity. vuri been, havi el. hävi had, been, wurti became, became.

In Upper Dalarna the verb inflection is peculiarly developed, in the actual valley tongue it is in some respects very old-fashioned. Regarding the vocabulary, a large number of peculiar and otherwise rare words are noticed, especially in the upper parishes.

In southern Dalarna it is more normal. The moon is everywhere called the moon and spring is called the box (cf. Gotlandian the charge !), Words that include. a. Used by Dalarna's skull, Erik Axel Karlfeldt. Itji el. tji can be used instead of not . Adverbs on - e usually end in - a : inna, nera, ôppa as in Västmanland and Gästrikland. Mil is neutrum and trolley feminimum. The name tag is characteristic: the old farm names are used as family names and put before the baptismal name, for example Back Pär Erssa.

References

Notes
  1. Bengt Pamp, Svenska dialekter, Lund 1978, sid. 111
  2. Elias Wessén, Svensk språkhistoria (åttonde upplagan), del 1, Lund 1969, sid. 37-38
  3. Nationalencyklopedin, band 4, sid. 352

Sources
  • Adolf Noreen "Dalmålet. I. Inledning till dalmålet. II. Ordlista öfver dalmålet i Ofvansiljans fögderi" ur Svenska landsmålen IV, Stockholm 1881 + 1882
  • Carl Säve "Dalmålet" 1903
  • Lars Levander "Dalmålet: beskrivning och historia I-II", Uppsala 1925-28
  • Bengt Pamp, "Svenska dialekter", Lund 1978

Further reading
  • Noreen, Adolf (1911). "Dalmålet". Spridda studier. Samling 2 [Scattered studies. Collection 2] (in Swedish). Stockholm. pp. 96–108. 482241.
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