Dialectology

This course aims to make students familiar with Slovene dialects. It will concentrate, in particular, on the multi-level analysis of individual dialects. Students will be acquainted with the modern phonetic transcription of spoken dialects. Familiarity with the specific linguistic features of particular dialect groups will enable them to enhance their knowledge and usage of the stress patterns of literary Slovene needed for teaching jobs.

This is an introductory course, so no special knowledge is required. Yet the students are expected to have some background in history of the Slovenian language, phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax.

A synchronous profile of Slovene dialects will be supplemented with the study of the diachronic aspects of linguistic phenomena. Students will examine linguistic and non-linguistic factors that led to the formation of Slovene dialects. By studying texts written in various dialects they will become familiar with the characteristics of particular dialect groups and dialects on all levels of language. Students will explore the relation of the linguistic structure of literary Slovene to the linguistic structures of individual dialects.

Students will understand the development of Slovenian language from Proto-Slavic period to level the contemporary dialects. They will get acquainted will the phases of development of Slovenian dialects and the basic features of all Slovenian dialectal groups. They will be able to analyze their own local dialect as well as their dialect and describe its phases of development.

• T. Logar: Slovenska narečja. Ljubljana, 1975, 1993. Catalogue
• T. Logar: Dialektološke in jezikovnozgodovinske razprave. Ljubljana, 1996. Catalogue
• F. Ramovš: Historična gramatika slovenskega jezika VII. Dialekti. Ljubljana, 1935
• J. Rigler: Južnonotranjski govori. Akcent in glasoslovje govorov med Snežnikom in Slavnikom. SAZU, 1963. Catalogue
• Z. Zorko: Narečna podoba Dravske doline. Maribor: Kulturni forum, 1995
• R. Benacchio: Oblikoslovno-skladenjske posebnosti rezijanščine. SR 46, 249-260. E-version
• J. Gostenčnik: Dolenjska narečna skupina : učni pripomoček pri predmetu Slovenska dialektologija. Ljubljana : J. Gostenčnik, 2024. Catalogue E-version
• J. Gostenčnik: Slovenska narečja : vaje : (učni pripomoček pri predmetu Slovenska dialektologija) . Ljubljana : J. Gostenčnik, 2024. Catalogue E-version

• 30% seminar • 30% colloquy • 40% exam

Associate Prof. Danila Zuljan Kumar has been focusing her research on Slovene dialectology, especially western Slovenian dialects, dialectal syntax, text linguistics and languages in contact. Since 2002 she is employed in the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language, ZRC SAZU and from 2010 the Head of the ZRC SAZU Research station in Nova Gorica, where she leads the project Slovenian west national border in the changes of time. She participates in the preparation of the Slovene Linguistic Atlas at ZRC SAZU and also in the course “Slovene dialectology” in the Faculty of Humanities, University of Nova Gorica. She is the Head of the Committee for organizing Gradnik’s Evenings in the Dobrovo Castle, Brda, and participates in the preparation of events for Škrabec Days.
From 1992 to 2002 she taught English in primary and secondary schools. From 1995 to 1998 she taught Slovenian language in the Wall Street Institute in Gorizia, Italy. In 1998 she participated as a mentor in the Research camp in the Kanal valley, Italy. In 2002 she lectured in the course “Slovene language and culture” in Špeter (San Pietro), Venetian Slovenia, Italy.
Under the Erasmus program, she has lectured in several universities – in Prague, Lodz, Vilnius and Sofia and she attended linguistic conferences in Slovenia, Austria, Slovak republic, Hungary, Finland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Italy and Norway. In 2009 she had a lecture on Slovenian dialects in the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

ZULJAN KUMAR, Danila. Večpomenskost poimenovanj za pomena 'obrvi' in 'trepalnice' v slovenskih narečjih (po gradivu za SLA, ALI in ASLEF). Ann, Ser. hist. sociol., 2012, letn. 22, št. 2, str. 487-498, ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 2342355]
ZULJAN KUMAR, Danila. Tipologija poimenovanj v gradivu za Slovenski lingvistični atlas. V: KOLENC, Petra (ur.). Marušičev zbornik : zbornik prispevkov v počastitev 70-letnice prof. dr. Branka Marušiča, (Goriški letnik, 2009-2010, 33-34). Nova Gorica: Goriški muzej, 2010, zv. 2, str. 833-848. [COBISS.SI-ID 32326701]
ZULJAN KUMAR, Danila. Cohesive means in Slovenian spontaneous dialectical conversations. Slavia Centralis, 2010, letn. 3, št. 2, str. 17-34. [COBISS.SI-ID 252866816]
ZULJAN KUMAR Danila. Словенский язык и словенская национальная, региональная и локальная идентичность. (V tisku).

ZULJAN KUMAR Danila. Jezik, skupnost, identiteta: odnos do prvega (maternega) jezika v času globalizacije (primer Beneških Slovencev in Furlanov). (v tisku)