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Prostaya mova

Prostaya mova (mowa prosta, prosty jazyk; , literally "simple language" or "simple speech") is a colloquial term used to denote the regional varieties of the Belarusian language (often mixed with Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian elements) spoken in the borderlands of Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland. It is primarily spoken in the Vilnius Region (Lithuania), Hrodna Region (Belarus), and the Podlaskie Voivodeship (Poland) (specifically in the Sokółka County).

Speakers of prostaya mova often identify themselves as Poles (especially in the Vilnius Region) or Belarusians, but refer to their native language as "simple" to distinguish it from standard literary languages (Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, or standard Belarusian).

Sociolinguistic status

The term "prostaya mova" carries a connotation of "uncomplicated," "ordinary," or "common" speech, contrasting it with "complex," "formal," or "official" languages. In the context of the Vilnius Region, these official languages are typically Polish (the language of the church and culture for the local population), Lithuanian (the state language), and Russian (often used as a lingua franca during the Soviet era).

According to ethnologist Yury Vnukovich, the use of the term "prostaya mova" indicates a speaker's rural, pre-modern identity rather than a specific national affiliation. While standard languages serve as markers of ethnic identity (e.g., Lithuanian for Lithuanians, Polish for Poles), prostaya mova represents a "linguistic anomaly" or a "liminal category."

The language is characterized by a low social prestige and is often stigmatized. Speakers may feel ashamed to use it in public spheres such as government institutions, schools, or churches, preferring to switch to "correct" languages (Polish, Russian, or Lithuanian) if they know them. This phenomenon is similar to the situation of other minority languages or dialects that are perceived as "peasant" or "uneducated" varieties.

Relationship with ethnic identity

A unique feature of prostaya mova is that its speakers often do not identify as Belarusians, despite the linguistic basis of their speech being Belarusian dialects.

  • In the Vilnius Region (Lithuania): The majority of prostaya mova speakers identify as Poles. For them, the Polish language is a symbol of their national and religious (Catholic) identity, even if they do not speak it fluently in daily life. They may demonstrate their "Polishness" by reciting prayers or songs in standard Polish, while using prostaya mova for everyday communication.
  • In the Hrodna Region (Belarus): Speakers may identify as Poles or Belarusians (often depending on their religion: Catholics tend to identify as Poles, Orthodox as Belarusians), but the language remains a shared vernacular.
  • In the Podlaskie Voivodeship (Poland): Speakers typically identify as Belarusians or use the regional identity of "locals" (tutejszy).

In the eyes of the local population, the "simple" language does not necessarily contradict a Polish identity. As noted by informants in ethnographic studies, they consider themselves Poles because of their Catholic faith and historical memory, even if they speak "in a simple way" (po-prostomu).

Linguistic features

Features of Belarusian dialects in Lithuania

Belarusian dialects in the Vilna (Vilnius) Region are a natural continuation of dialects from the territory of Belarus. Valeriy Chekman, Petras Gaučas, and Laima Grumadienė determined their area of distribution roughly from Buivydžiai in the north to Bujvydiškes and Trakai in the west, and to Kalesninkai and Eišiškės in the south of Lithuania. According to traditional division, they belong to the belt of Central Belarusian dialects, and north of Nemenčinė, they approach the North-Eastern dialect. According to the division into dialect zones, they can be attributed to the North-Western zone.

Characteristic features:

  • Non-dissimilative akanye and yakanye, although in the north, a transition from non-dissimilative to dissimilative is observed.
  • Pronunciation of only hard and hardened r.
  • Unstressed я (ya) in place of the old ять (yat) in the endings of the locative case singular of nouns: (u chacia, 'in the house'), (u liesia, 'in the forest'), which indicates full yakanye.
  • Use of the lexeme (fasolia, bean) in the form (fasol).
  • Form of the demonstrative pronoun with prothetic h: (heny, that).
  • Form of the infinitive of the verb (iści, to go).
  • Use of the past tense participle ending in -вшы (-vshy): (syn u shkolu payekhaushy, 'the son has gone to school').
  • Lexemes that denote objects differently in other regions of Belarus: (portki, 'trousers'), (studnia, 'well'), (abrus, 'tablecloth'), (kashulia, 'shirt').
  • Widespread construction of the type (mnie balić halava, me [dative] hurts head) instead of (u mianie balić halava, at me hurts head), which is used in other regions.
  • Presence of borrowed vocabulary from other languages:
  • Polish (; teras havorać, jon bendzie),
  • Russian (; maladziož, ja charasho rabotala),
  • Lithuanian ( < mokytoja 'teacher'; < sąskaita 'bill').

Example

Comparison of a text in prostaya mova (recorded in the Podlaskie Voivodeship), standard Belarusian, and Polish.

See also

References

Bibliography