PHONETIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF SOUNDS IN ESTERN POLISSIAN DIALECTS SPOKEN IN NOVGOROD-SIVERSK DISTRICT

Abstract

The article analyzes phonetic processes caused by the loss of sounds or sound groups on the basis of the material of the Eastern Polissian language dialect of the Ukrainian language. The author characterizes the essential phonetic and grammatical features of the Siversk dialect, located to the North of Novgorod-Siversk, its specificity relative to the main Eastern Polissian area and notes that the actual Ukrainian (Polissian) language features coexist here with certain Belarusian features.
While studying diaeresis, i.e. the elimination of sounds or syllables for ease of pronunciation, the author uses a considerable number of illustrative material, gathered in the area where Siversk dialects are spoken.
There is taken into account the position of the absolute beginning of the word that is realized as an apheresis, i.e. the loss of the next vowel when it coincides with the previous one on the edge of the root and prefix and between words. It is noted that the apheresis as well as other sound characteristics integrates it into the Eastern Polissian family of dialects. Cases of loss of etymological vowels and consonants are characterized, which are inherent mainly for borrowed vocabulary, and some examples of dieresis in indigenous dialectics. It is noted that the loss of sounds in the middle of the word (syncope) is quite common. The cases of loss of the sound [й] in the verbal forms, formed from the Common Slavic root *imati, are analyzed; phonetic changes (for example, contamination, assimilation), caused by the loss of not only separate vowels and consonants, but also sound groups and syllables, are described. Thus, unlike other positions, the reduction of the final sound elements (apocope) is noted in remote from the stress syllables and implemented in a small number of dialect word types.
It is stated that diaeresis most often occurs due to the elimination of consonant or vowel confluence and reflects the specificity of not only phonetic, but also lexical levels of the Siversk dialect.