Breznik dialect explained

The Breznik dialect is a Bulgarian dialect, member of the Transitional dialects, which is spoken in the region of Graovo in central western Bulgaria. It borders on the Tran dialect to the west and north, the Kyustendil dialect to the south and the Sofia dialect to the northeast and features characteristics typical for the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects.

Phonological and morphological characteristics

• шч/дж (pronounced as /ʃt͡ʃ//pronounced as /d͡ʒ/) for Proto-Slavic pronounced as /
  • tʲ
  //pronounced as /
  • dʲ
  /: лешча, меджу vs. Standard Bulgarian Bulgarian: леща, между (lentils, between).
• Vocalic r and l for Old Bulgarian Bulgarian: ръ/рь and Bulgarian: лъ/ль instead of the combinations Bulgarian: ръ/ър (pronounced as /rə//pronounced as /ər/) and Bulgarian: лъ/ъл (pronounced as /lə//pronounced as /əl/) in Standard Bulgarian - Bulgarian: дрво, слза instead of Bulgarian: дърво, сълза (tree, tear). However, the reflex of Bulgarian: лъ/ль is u before labial consonants (as in the Ihtiman dialect and the Samokov dialect): Bulgarian: вуна vs. formal Bulgarian Bulgarian: вълна (wool)
• Definite articles Bulgarian: -ът, -та, -то, -те as in Standard Bulgarian
• Vowel -e instead of -x in the forms of past imperfect tense: биее vs. Standard Bulgarian биех (I was beating)

The dialect is dynamic and is well known for the shortening of the words.

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

Sources

Стойков, Стойко: Българска диалектология, Акад. изд. "Проф. Марин Дринов", 2006 http://www.promacedonia.org/jchorb/st/st_2_b_zap_3.htm#breznishki