# Zagórze dialect

The Zagórze dialect (Polish: gwara zagórzańska) also known as the Gorce dialect belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It is in part one of the dialects that belongs to the Goral ethnolect. It borders the Podhale dialect to the south, the Kliszczak dialect to the west, the Kraków dialect to the north and the Goral and Lachy Sącz dialects to the east.

## Phonology

Typical of Lesser Polish dialects (as well as Greater Polish dialects), voicing of word-final consonants before vowels and liquids is present here. Also typical of Lesser Polish dialects is the presence of mazuration. Initial accent can be heard in the northern part of this dialect.

### Vowels

-e- may be inserted between some consonant clusters: meter (metr). ił, il can lower to -eł, -el, with retention of softening of the previous consonant: robieł (robił). The so-called “Podhalanian archaism” is partially present here; after etymological cz, ż, sz (now c, z, s) as well as after etymological cy, zy, sy, i is retained. The Lechitic ablaut is often absent before hard dental consonants: zawiezła (zawiozła).

#### Slanted vowels

Slanted á is retained as á or raises to o. Slanted é raises to y after both hard and soft consonants. Slanted ó is retained as ó.

#### Nasal vowels

The realization of nasal vowels here is not uniform, and . Two types can be distinguished, one in the north and one in the south. In the north, ǫ (nasal o) can be heard in place of the short Old Polish nasal vowel, and ǫ̇ (raised) can be heard in place of the long Old Polish nasal vowel, as well as instead of combinations of eN. In the north, yN can be heard word-medially, and word-finally a denasalized ó can be heard instead of the old long nasal.

#### Prothesis

Initial o- usually labializes to ô-. Initial u can also sometimes labialize to û-. Initial i- may gain a prothetic j-, and initial a- may sporadically gain a prothetic h- or j-.

### Consonants

Final -ch strengthens to -k in all contexts, i.e. in stems: grok (groch); in morphological endings: na ôgrodak (na ogrodach), do tyk nasyk staryk ôjcóf (do tych naszych starych ojców), ôd nik (od nich), byłek (byłem), stáłbyk (stałbym). Dark ł, fricative rz, and -rzi- instead of -rzy- can be heard amongst older speakers. trz, strz, drz usually simplify to cz, szcz, dż. Intervocalic -ch- is often lost: słuała (słuchała). s may geminate in certain words: z lassa (z lasu). źr is present instead of jrz: uźreć (ujrzeć). ł is lost after plosive consonants: gupi (głupi), tuc (tłuc).

## Inflection

Common Goral inflectional patterns are present here.

### Nouns

As in the Podhale dialect, hard k and g can be heard in the masculine/neuter instrumental singular: patykem (patykiem), Bogem (Bogiem). -owi is used for the dative for all masculine nouns and also in the masculine locative singular. -a is preferred for the masculine genitive singular over -u. The nominative plural of collective virile nouns is formed with -á instead of -owie: wójciá (wójtowie). The nominative plural may be formed with -a instead of -y: sprzynta (sprzęty). The archaic -e of feminine genitive singular of soft stems is preserved: ze studnie (ze studni). -ǫ is used for the feminine accusative singular for nouns that end in -á in the nominative singular: idǫ na msǫ (idę na mszę).

### Adjectives and adverbs

Final -ej shifts to -y (after hard consonants), -i (after soft consonants): gorzy (gorzej), bardzi (bardziej), do stary baby (do starej baby). The superlative may be formed with either no- or noj-.

### Verbs

Certain verb declensions are leveled: biere (bierze). The aorist is retained in the first person singular, with a shift of -ch > -k: byłek (byłem), and can also be seen in the first person conditional: siádbyk (siadłbym). być often has its forms levelled and a preference for the presence of a personal pronoun: jo jest (jestem), my sóm (jesteśmt), wyście sóm (jesteście). In Kasina Wielka and Węglówka, -va can be seen in the first-person plural present and imperative. The contemporary adverbial participle is formed with -yncy instead of -ąc.

### Prepositions and prefixes

z- and z are often archaically retained as s- and s- and allophonically realized as ś- and ś.

## Vocabulary
### Word-Formation

Typical Lesser Polish word-formation tendencies can be seen here.

#### Nouns

-ón is often used instead of -anin.

#### Adjectives

Possessive adjectives may be formed with -in.

#### Verbs

Iteratives are often formed with -ować instead of -ywać/-iwać.

## Syntax

Masculine personal nouns and masculine animal nouns are often levelled: chłopy posły (chłopi poszli).