Heisai dialect

Generally, the Heisai dialect [澤筌丞言; へいさい じょうげん] is of close relation to the speech used in Hamae Prefecture. However, there are some differences which distinguish a speaker of the Heisai variety.
Perhaps one of the most famous examples of the Heisai dialect used in literature or media are the poem anthologies written by Ōyama no Beiryū, a 16th-century scholar and poet who hailed from southern Heisai. Interestingly, his version of the Heisai dialect is almost indistinguishable from the modern-day variety, suggesting that there has been little change to the Heisai speech for over 600 years. His most famous poem, On Snowy Mountains, makes frequent use of the regional word yukei which means ‘snow’.
== Varieties ==
The Heisai speech has three varieties: the Biha dialect, which is spoken in the wider northern region near and on Biha Peninsula, the Hikken dialect, which is spoken on the east side, and the Nōhei dialect, which is spoken in the south, and is also in northern Saka Prefecture.
== Features ==
* - Like most northern dialects, vowels become emphasised and extended.
* - The pronounciation of /dʒ/ and /t͡ʃ/ is often indistinguishable and more aspirated than in Standard. Additionally, the sound of /ʃ/ becomes closer to /ʑ/, especially after a /n/ sound. E.g. 薫 [jinshi, fragrance] becomes /t͡ʃin.ʑi/.
* - The sound of /tsu/ at the end of words is often reduced considerably.
* - Heisai dialect has a large amount of onomatopeia which differs from the onomatopeia of Standard Kantonese. Many of these words are very specific - for example, すんずれ is supposed to be the sound of a spider spinning its web, but is understood to mean somebody busily working, or working diligently.
* - /sa, su, so, se/ will often morph into a softened /ts/ sound.
* - The directional particle -に becomes -て.
* - The imperative mood changes from -ようせん to -やつ.
* - A unique particle, -そめ, can be added to the end of a sentence in Heisai to express wonderment or curiosity. E.g. おっかごれを向そめ？= How did you make that?
* - Intervocalic /g/ is very likely to become /ŋ/.
* - The volitional form in Heisai dialect becomes -っべ, or sometimes -っぺ. E.g. Let’s work together! = つお动っべ！
== Common vocabulary ==
* のう - I, me [neutral]
* あんな - you [neutral]
* つお - together [also ‘we’ or ‘they’]
* にっけ - cat
* ぺんご - caviar, fish roe
* とぼい - noodles
* ゆけい - snow
* へいつぁい - Heisai
* さつ - going, go