Подільська говірка села Дмитрушки в координатах літературної мови

The chapter presents the results of a study on the phonetic features of the dialect spoken in Dmytrushky village, Uman district, Cherkasy region, located in the eastern part of the Podillya dialect area. The distinct phonetic features of this dialect suggest it is part of the southwestern dialect group overall, and specifically of the Podillya dialect. Notable characteristics include the convergence of the unstressed [о] with [у], leading to a complete substitution of [о] by [у]; the presence of epenthetic [л’] after [б], [п], [ў], and [р] in place of the etymological [j]; the presence of epenthetic [н’] after [м] where etymological [j] would be expected; the change of the sound combination [с’т’] to [с’ц’]; depalatalisation of dental consonants before [i]; depalatalisation of [т’] in 3rd person singular present-tense verb forms; the hard pronunciation of [р]; the preservation of the Proto-Slavic initial [je], which has transformed into [ji] in the dialect. The dialect is actively influenced by the Central Dnieper dialect, as evidenced by the spread of [i] in place of [y] and the associated palatalisation or semi-palatalisation of hard consonants. The convergence of the colloquial language with the Ukrainian literary language was partly a result of Soviet-era language policies; however, features such as the active prosthesis of [r], “akannia” (vowel reduction), and the lack of consonant lengthening highlight the remaining distinctions between the dialect and the literary language. The preservation of specific dialectal features in the speech of Dmytrushky residents supports its status as an intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine.