Łowicz dialect

The dialect belongs to the Masovian dialect group and is located in the part of Poland. It borders the Near Mazovian dialect to the north, the Lesser Polish Masovian Borderland dialect to the east, and the Łęczyca dialect to the south and west.

The classification of Łowicz is much debated. Traditionally it has been considered a Lesser Polish dialect, but there are many traits placing it within the Masovian group. Ties with Pogranicze Mazowsza have also been made. Łowicz shows many transitional features between Masovia, Greater Poland, and Lesser Poland. Many traits are also unevenly distributed across the region.

Phonology
Typical of Greater Polish as well as Lesser Polish dialects, voicing of word-final consonants before vowels and liquids is present here, including before clitics. Some villages show devoicing under influence from Standard Polish. Typical of Masovian and Lesser Polish dialects is the presence of mazuration, however, this process is being undone for many speakers, but formed with mazuration are still dominant.

Vowels
As in Lesser Polish dialects, i, y often lower before l, ł: urobieły (urobiły), liceła (liczyła). Similarly, iR, yR can lower to eR. Ablaut is often levelled: gnietły (gniotły), wietraki (wiatraki). Final -ej often shifts to -i / -y, particularly in the comparative of adverbs, the feminine genitive/locative ending -ej, and the adverb dzisiaj: downi (dawniej), wincy (więcej), ty włody (wej wody), dzisiej (dzisiaj). A few instances of initial ja-, ra- > je-, re- can be found, as in Masovian dialects: jek (jak), redzić (radzić). Mobile e is often inserted: meter (metr).

Slanted vowels
Historic slanted vowels are often realized the same as in Standard Polish due to influence from it, but may be realized differently. Slanted á may raise to o or be realized as a, or is sporadically and rarely retained as á. Slanted ó is generally retained as ó (between o and u). Slanted é has lowered and merged with e, where most neighboring dialects raise é to y/i, but inconsistent raising to y (after hard consonants)/i (after soft consonants) may sometimes be heard. Jasne e can be seen in adjectival declension replacing historic é, which is typical of Lesser Polish dialects, but reflexes é can also be seen, as in Masovian and more particularly Greater Polish.

Nasal vowels
Medially nasal vowels usually raise and decompose before non-sibilants: lyngły (lęgły), winkse (większe), przyglundała (przyglądała) or only raise to į (after soft consonants)/y̨ (after hard consonants) and ų before sibilants. Nasal vowels before l ł may give n: wzino (wzięło), zaceny (zaczęły). Final -ą usually decomposes to -om and sometimes raises to -um: oglądajom (oglądają), najedzum (najedzą). Final -ę usually denasalizes to -e and sometimes raises to -y: na marmolady (na marmoladę), takom jaglanom kase (taką jaglaną kasę). Generally the groups eN and oN often raise, but sometimes oN doesn't: chłopokim (chłopakiem), latym (latem), struny (strony), dónica, donica (donica). oN is most commonly not raised, which is the result of influence of Standard Polish. aN also often raises: nie móm (nie mam). Similarly, iN may sometimes lower to eN, as in Lesser Polish dialects: jendyk (indyk), and uN can lower to óN, oN.

Prothesis
Initial o- typically labializes, as does rarely initial u-. Medial -o- may also sporadically labialize, as in Lesser Polish dialects. Initial u- may also gain prothetic j-, as in Greater Polish dialects: juzda (uzda). Initial a-, i- and sometimes medial -a-, -i- may gain a prothetic j-: jiść (iść), strojeły (stroiły).

Consonants
b may sporadically replace w, typical of Greater Polish dialects: grzyba (grzywa). Many consonant clusters are simplified. kt usually shifts to cht: chtoś (ktoś). n before k usually assimilates and is pronounced velarly, as in Greater Polish and Lesser Polish dialects. chrz changes to krz: krześcijanin (chrześcijanin). strz, zdrz, trz, drz are reduced to szcz, żdż, cz, dż. This is found in Lesser Poland and Greater Poland. dl often shifts to l. św’ may harden, as in Masovian dialects: śwyniom (świniom). li may harden, as in Masovian dialects: ślywki (śliwki). kie and gie may sporadically harden, as in Masovian dialects: cuker (cukier). chy may soften: pod pachi (pod pachy). Soft labials in verb conjugations can harden, as in Lesser Polish dialects: złame (złamię). tw may change to kw: kwardy (twardy); tch to ćch: ćchórz (tchórz); tw to cw: łacwo (łatwo). These are changes found in Lesser Polish dialects. As in Lesser Polish dialects, s may sometimes be geminated and then sometimes dissimilated: bosso, bosco (boso). w may rarely shift to ł, and w’ to j: dziełosłomb (dziewosłąb), strachoji (strachowi). Sporadic softening may occur. Some instances of this are innovative, others archaic: bibiuły (bibuły), wesielo (wesela).

Contraction
Verbs often appear in uncontracted forms, as in Masovian dialects: sie bojała (bała się).

Inflection
Influences from multiple dialect groups can be seen in the inflection.

Nouns
The masculine dative singular may be -oji instead of -owi due to sound changes. -oju may appear as the masculine singular dative via contamination of -owi and -u, as in Masovian dialects. The instrumental plural ending -ami often hardens to -amy, as in Masovian dialects: przed namy (przed nami). -ów is used as the genitive plural ending regardless of gender. An archaic feminine accusative singular -ą for nouns ending in historic -á is retained: w Wilijom (w Wigilię), na kolacyjo (na kolację). Sometimes neuter nouns ending in -ę have declension levelled, as in Masovian dialects.

Adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and numerals
The dative singular of ja (mi) often hardens to my, as in Masovian dialects: jak my powies (jak mi powiesz). Similarly, -ymi/-imi of adjectival declension may also harden: z tymy (z tymi). The instrumental plural endings -ymi/-imi may also harden: z tymy (z tymi).

Verbs
The past tense may be -uł instead of -ył/-ił due to sound changes. Final -aj shifts to -ej in the imperative of verbs: pogodej (pogadaj). This is common to Lesser Poland and Greater Poland. Some verb forms may appear with a hard consonants due to sound changes: złame (złamię). Some verbs show -ja- instead of -wa-, characteristic of Lesser Polish: dajać (dawać), wstajać (wstawać). Verbs ending in -nąć often do not have -ną-, -nę- in declensions: pragła (pragnęła). The second person plural of verbs is usually -ta: świętujeta (świętujecie), widzieliśta (widzieliście), chowejta (chowajcie). -wa for the first person plural past form and imperative of verbs can be encountered: przemówieliźwa się (przemówiliśmy się), nieśwa (nieśmy). This is typical of Lesser Polish and Masovian dialects. The first person plural imperative may also be formed with -ma, as in Greater Polish: nieśma (nieśmy). The third person plural of verbs may sometimes be -eli instead of Standard Polish -ali, as in Masovian dialects.

Prepositions and prefixes
The prepositions w, z are often extended with mobile e, as in Greater Polish and Lesser Polish dialects.

Word-Formation
Influences from multiple dialect groups can be seen in the word-formation.

Nouns
Diminutives may often be formed with -yszek, -yszko, -yszka, as in Greater Polish. Nouns denoting young animals and people are formed with -ok (< -ák), as in Masovian dialects: źrebok (źrebię).

Adjectives
-ejszy may be used for comparatives of adjectives in place of Standard Polish -szy, as in Masovian dialects. However, sometimes -ni can be seen in place of Standard Polish -ny for some adjectives, which is typica of Lesser Polish: tylni (tylny). Similarly, many adjectives may be formed with -ity, -yty, -aty, as in Greater Polish dialects. Numerals often retain archaic -i in declensions, common to Greater Polish and Lesser Polish dialects: pięci (pięciu).

Verbs
Sometimes the prefix roz- loses initial r-, as in Lesser Polish dialects. Frequentatives are formed with -ywać, as in Standard Polish and Masovian dialects, whereas in Lesser Poland -ować is used more. Some secondary frequentatives can also be found: strasywało (straszyło). -ać may also be used, which is also typical of Masovian dialects: kupać. -uwać may also occasionally be encountered, typical of Lesser Polish: wyjmuwać (wyjmować).

Syntax
Often the masculine personal gender is merged into masculine animal: jak zyły teście (jak żyli teściowie). Sometimes the respectful plural is used: godali mój dziadek (gadał mój dziadek). Sometimes bez is confused for przez: bez dziurke (przez dziurkę). Dwa may be used for feminine nouns instead of dwie: dwa świnie (dwie świnie). Masovian na dwór (outside) is used instead of Lesser Polish na pole.