Eastern Polissian dialectal speakers’ metatextual utterances: dialectal language features at different language levels

Abstract

The paper deals with the problem of the studying of dialectal personality phenomenon, in particular the researching of the Eastern Polissian dialectal speakers’ metalingual consciousness. The purpose of the study is to analyze the Eastern Polissian dialectal speakers’ metatextual utterances about the peculiarities of the dialectal language at different language levels in the context of scientific researches. Sources of the research is classified dialectal material collected by the field method and recorded by the author in 76 villages of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts during 2009–2019, using a special questionnaire devoted to the study of verb vocabulary semantic variation, and recordings of dialectal speakers’ texts-stories. Metatextual utterances were recorded on occasion. Dialectal material of lexicographic and linguogeographical sources, which contain information about the studied linguistic phenomena, are also used. Based on the analyzed dialectal material it is concluded that dialectal speakers evaluate the dialectal language in compliance / inconsistency with the established norm with a focus on their own dialect, other dialects, which language, according to dialectal speakers’ opinion, is close to the Ukrainian literary language, and the Ukrainian literary language. It is found out that dialectal speakers are aware mainly the phonetic (accent variation, substitution of unstressed [o] through [a], equivalents */o/ in stressed closed syllable, hardening of [p]) and lexical features, ignoring word-formation, morphology and syntax. It is stated that in metatextual utterances dialectal speakers first of all pay attention to the functioning of dinphthongs / monophthongs in dialects and to the substitution of unstressed [o] through [a] - the phenomenon of akannia, which, according to researchers’ opinion, is the edge of the Eastern Slavic akannia area and has no influence of the Ukrainian literary language. It is determined that most of the data of the Eastern Polissian dialectal speakers’ metalingual consciousness confirms by the author’s recorded dialectal material and information from various scientific researches.