On the acoustic structure and the phonological status of diphthongs in german island dialectics (on the example of the settlements of Sozimsky and Chernigovsky in the Kirov region)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present theresults of the study of the phonemic status of diphthongs of the German island dialectsspoken in the Kirov region (Russia). The problem of determining the system of vowel phonemes (diphthongs) of the above-mentioned region has been solved in line with Shcherba’s phonetics, which recognizes the connection between the sound and semantic sides of the language. In the course of the study, we concluded: the diphthongs studied in the article are monophonemic. This is proved by their specific acoustic characteristics, duration, monosyllabicity, and the absence of strong aspiration of the second component.
 This study contributes to the German island dialectology, enriching the theory and typology of island dialects, which preserve archaic features. The results of the study may be of interest to scholars involved in the study of German island dialects.