Littoral dialect group

The Littoral dialect group (primorska narečna skupina) is a group of very heterogeneous dialects of Slovene. The Littoral dialects are spoken in most of the Slovenian Littoral (except for the mountainous areas around Tolmin and Cerkno, where Rovte dialects are spoken) and in the western part of Inner Carniola. They are also spoken by Slovenes in the Italian provinces of Trieste and Gorizia, and in the mountainous areas of eastern Friuli (Venetian Slovenia and Resia).

Phonological and morphological characteristics

Among other features, this group is characterized by diphthongization of yat > ie and o > uo, and late denasalization of *ę and *ǫ. The western dialects in this group have preserved pitch accent whereas the others have a non-tonal stress accent.

Individual dialects and subdialects

• Resia(n) dialect (rezijansko narečje, rezijanščina); spoken in the Resia Valley (Italy)
• Soča dialect (obsoÅ¡ko narečje); spoken in the Upper Soča Valley
• Torre Valley dialect (tersko narečje, terščina); spoken in the upper Torre Valley (Italy) and in the Breginj area (Slovenia)
• Natisone Valley dialect (nadiÅ¡ko narečje, nadiščina); spoken in the Natisone Valley in Venetian Slovenia (Italy) and in western parts of the Gorizia region (Slovenia)
• Brda dialect (briÅ¡ko narečje, briščina); spoken in the Brda () area in Slovenia and in Italy, as well as in some suburbs of Gorizia (Italy)
• Karst dialect (kraÅ¡ko narečje, kraščina); spoken in the north-western parts of the Karst Plateau, in the lower Vipava Valley and in the lower Soča Valley, as well as in some suburbs of Gorizia and Trieste (Italy)
• BanjÅ¡ice subdialect (banjÅ¡ki govor, banjiÅ¡ki govor); spoken on the BanjÅ¡ice Plateau
• Istrian dialect (istrsko narečje, istrščina); spoken in Slovenian Istria and parts of the Italian Province of Trieste
• Rižana subdialect (rižanski govor); spoken in northern Slovenian Istria and parts of the Province of Trieste (Italy)
• Å avrin Hills subdialect (Å¡avrinski govor, Å¡avrinščina); spoken in southern Slovenian Istria
• Inner Carniolan dialect (notranjsko narečje, notranjščina); spoken in western Inner Carniola, the upper Vipava Valley, and southern Karst Plateau, as well as in most of the Slovenian-inhabited suburbs of Trieste (Italy)
• Čičarija dialect (čiÅ¡ko narečje, čički dialekt); spoken in a few villages in Slovenian Istria on the border with Croatia

References