Tetovo dialect
The Tetovo dialect is a member of the western subgroup of the northern group of dialects of the Macedonian language. It is considered to be a part of the transitional Torlakian dialects. It is spoken by the population in the north-western part of North Macedonia. This dialect is spoken in the city of Tetovo, Brvenica and Jegunovce Municipality. One of the main characteristics of this dialect is the use of the words таќе – "on that way" and ваќе – "on this way". The Tetovo dialect can be found in several books, two of which were written by Kiril Peychinovich, namely Ogledalo and Uteshenia greshnim.Phonological characteristics
There are many characteristics that are connected with this dialect but the most significant are:
- the old vocal L is replaced by the groups u/ lu/ la: јаболко / jabolko > јабука / jabuka, солза / solza > слăза / sluza ;
- use of A instead of E: трева / treva > трава / trava, орев / orev > орав / orav ;
- use of ă instead of use of the yer: лаже / laže > лăже / lăže ;
- use of U instead of the Old Church Slavonic letter ON: пат / pat > пут / put, внук / vnuk > унук / unuk.
Morphological characteristics
- use of the suffix -mo for first person plural: одиме / odime > идемо/ idemo ;
- palatal J before the letter E at the beginning of a word: јазик / jazik> језик / jezik, јаже > јуже ;
- the consonant group MN is replaced with the consonant group ML: многу / mnogu > млогу / mlogu ;
- use of the preposition U instead of the preposition VO: во град/ vo grad > у град / u grad
Examples
Below is written a popular folk song from Tetovo region. The song is in Tetovo dialect.
