View source for Moldavian dialect

{{Short description|Dialect of Romanian}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Moldovan language]], one of the two names of the Romanian language in the Republic of Moldova.}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Moldavian
| altname          = 
| nativename       = ''graiul moldovean''
| pronunciation    = 
| states           = [[Moldova]], [[Romania]], [[Ukraina]]
| region           = see [[Moldavian dialect#Geographic distribution|geographic distribution]]
| ethnicity        = [[Moldovans]]
| speakers         = 
| date             = 
| ref              = 
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Italic languages|Italic]]
| fam3             = [[Latino-Faliscan languages|Latino-Faliscan]]
| fam4             = [[Latin]]
| fam5             = [[Romance languages|Romance]]
| fam6             = [[Romanian language|Romanian]]
| script           = *[[Latin script|Latin]] ([[Romanian alphabet]])
* [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]]
** [[Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet]] ([[Transnistria]] only)
| nation           = 
| minority         = 
| agency           = 
| iso3             = 
| lingua           = 
| map              = 
| mapcaption       = 
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = mold1248
| glottorefname    = Moldavian
}}
The '''Moldavian dialect''' is one of several [[Romanian dialects|dialects]] of the [[Romanian language]] (Daco-Romanian). It is spoken across the approximate area of the historical region of [[Moldavia]], now split between the [[Republic of Moldova]], [[Romania]], and [[Ukraine]].

The delimitation of the Moldavian dialect, as with all other Romanian dialects, is made primarily by analyzing its phonetic features and only marginally by morphological, syntactical, and lexical characteristics.

==Classification==
The Moldavian dialect is the representative of the northern grouping of Romanian dialects and has influenced the Romanian spoken over large areas of [[Transylvania]].

The Moldavian and the [[Wallachian dialect|Wallachian]] dialects are the only two that have been consistently identified and recognized by linguists. They are clearly distinct in dialect classifications made by [[Heimann Tiktin]], [[Mozes Gaster]], [[Gustav Weigand]], [[Sextil Pușcariu]], Sever Pop, [[Emil Petrovici]], Romulus Todoran, Ion Coteanu, [[Alexandru Philippide]], [[Iorgu Iordan]], Emanuel Vasiliu, and others, whereas the other dialects have been considerably more controversial and difficult to classify.

The Moldavian dialect is not synonymous with [[Moldovan language]]. The latter is another term for the [[Romanian language]] as used in the [[Republic of Moldova]]. The border between Romania and the Republic of Moldova does not correspond to any significant [[isogloss]]es to justify a dialectal division; phonetics and morphology (which normally define dialectal classifications) are nearly identical across the border, whereas lexical differences are minimal.<ref>Vasile Pavel, [http://www.limbaromana.md/index.php?go=articole&n=105 Limba română – unitate în diversitate], ''Limba română'', nr. 9–10, 2008 {{in lang|ro}}</ref>

==Geographic distribution==
[[Image:Romania Graiuri.jpg|thumb|340px|Major varieties (''graiuri'') of the [[Romanian language]]]]
The Moldavian dialect is spoken in the northeastern part of [[Romania]], the [[Republic of Moldova]], and small areas of [[Ukraine]]. It is the only Romance variety spoken east of the [[Eastern Carpathians]]. In detail, its distribution area covers the following administrative or historical regions:

*in [[Western Moldavia]]: the [[Counties of Romania|counties]] of [[Bacău County|Bacău]], [[Botoșani County|Botoșani]], [[Galați County|Galați]], [[Iași County|Iași]], [[Neamț County|Neamț]], [[Suceava County|Suceava]], [[Vaslui County|Vaslui]], [[Vrancea County|Vrancea]];
*in [[Muntenia]] and [[Northern Dobruja]], some [[isogloss]]es extend over the northern parts of the following counties: [[Buzău County|Buzău]], [[Brăila County|Brăila]], [[Tulcea County|Tulcea]];
*in the [[Republic of Moldova]]: the whole territory, including the breakaway region of [[Transnistria]];
*in [[Ukraine]]:
**[[Chernivtsi Oblast]]: [[Bukovina|Northern Bukovina]], the [[Hertsa region]], and [[Bessarabia|Northern Bessarabia]];
**[[Odesa Oblast]]: the historical region of [[Budjak]] (consisting of the current [[List of raions of Ukraine|raions]] of [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion|Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi]], [[Bolhrad Raion|Bolhrad]], [[Izmail Raion|Izmail]]) and other [[Hromada|hromadas]] in the Odesa Oblast;
**smaller pockets in other parts of Ukraine;
*in the north-eastern half of [[Transylvania]], various isoglosses include all or part of the following counties: [[Bistrița-Năsăud County|Bistrița-Năsăud]], [[Harghita County|Harghita]], [[Covasna County|Covasna]], [[Cluj County|Cluj]] (eastern half), [[Mureș County|Mureș]] (northern half).

=== Transitional areas ===
Transitional varieties of the Moldavian dialect are found in areas of contact with the other dialects. As such, Moldavian features often occur outside the historical Moldavia: in northern [[Dobruja]], in northeastern [[Muntenia]], and in north-east [[Transylvania]].

==Phonology==

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center 
|+ Moldavian dialect consonant phonemes
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|
!colspan=2|[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=2|[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!rowspan=2|[[Postalveolar consonant|Palato-<br>Alveolar]]
!rowspan=2|[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
!colspan=2|[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!{{small|hard}}
!{{small|[[Palatalization (phonetics)|soft]]}}
!{{small|hard}}
!{{small|soft}}
!{{small|hard}}
!{{small|soft}}
!{{small|hard}}
!{{small|soft}}
|-
!colspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPAlink|m}} {{angbr|м}}
|{{IPA|mʲ}} {{angbr|-мь}}
|{{IPAlink|n}} {{angbr|н}}
|{{IPA|nʲ}} {{angbr|-нь}}
|
|{{IPAlink|ɲ}} {{angbr|н''(и,е)''}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
!{{small|[[Voiceless consonant|unvoiced]]}}
|{{IPAlink|p}} {{angbr|п}}
|{{IPA|pʲ}} {{angbr|-пь}}
|{{IPAlink|t}} {{angbr|т}}
|{{IPA|tʲ}} {{angbr|-ть}}
|
|{{IPAlink|c}} {{angbr|к''(и,е)''}}
|{{IPAlink|k}} {{angbr|к}}
|{{IPA|kʲ}} {{angbr|-кь}}
|
|
|-
!{{small|[[Voiced consonant|voiced]]}}
|{{IPAlink|b}} {{angbr|б}}
|{{IPA|bʲ}} {{angbr|-бь}}
|{{IPAlink|d}} {{angbr|д}}
|{{IPA|dʲ}} {{angbr|-дь}}
|
|{{IPAlink|ɟ}} {{angbr|г''(и,е)''}}
|{{IPAlink|ɡ}} {{angbr|г}}
|{{IPA|ɡʲ}} {{angbr|-гь}}
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
!{{small|unvoiced}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|t͡s}} {{angbr|ц}}
|{{IPA|t͡sʲ}} {{angbr|-ць}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}} {{angbr|ч}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!{{small|voiced}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|d͡z}} {{angbr|дз}}
|
|{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} {{Angbr|ӂ}} 
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
!{{small|voiced}}
|{{IPAlink|v}} {{angbr|в}}
|{{IPA|vʲ}} {{angbr|-вь}}
|{{IPAlink|z}} {{angbr|з}}
|{{IPA|zʲ}} {{angbr|-зь}}
|{{IPAlink|ʒ}} {{angbr|ж}}
|{{IPAlink|ʝ}} {{angbr|ж''(и,е)''}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!{{small|unvoiced}}
|{{IPAlink|f}} {{angbr|ф}}
|{{IPA|fʲ}} {{angbr|-фь}}
|{{IPAlink|s}} {{angbr|с}}
|{{IPA|sʲ}} {{angbr|-сь}}
|{{IPAlink|ʃ}} {{angbr|ш}}
|{{IPAlink|ç}} {{angbr|ш''(и,е)''}}
|
|
| rowspan="3" |{{IPAlink|h}} {{angbr|х}}
| rowspan="3" |{{IPA|hʲ}} {{angbr|-хь}}
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[Approximant]]
|rowspan=2|{{IPAlink|w}} {{angbr|ў,у}}
|rowspan=2|
|{{IPAlink|r}} {{angbr|р}}
|{{IPA|rʲ}} {{angbr|-рь}}
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|{{IPAlink|j}} {{angbr|й,и}}
|
|
|-
|{{IPAlink|l}} {{angbr|л}}
|{{IPA|lʲ}} {{angbr|-ль}}
|
|
|}

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center 
|+ Moldavian dialect monophthong phonemes
|-
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPAlink|i}} {{angbr|и}}
|{{IPAlink|ɨ}} {{angbr|ы,-э}}
|{{IPAlink|u}} {{angbr|у}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPAlink|e}} {{angbr|е}}
|{{IPAlink|ə}} {{angbr|э}}
|{{IPAlink|o}} {{angbr|о}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|colspan=2|{{IPAlink|a}} {{angbr|а}}
|
|}

Plus diphthongs.

==Particularities==
===Phonetic features===

The Moldavian dialect has the following phonetic particularities that contrast it with the other Romanian dialects:

;Consonants
*The postalveolar affricates {{IPA|[t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ]}} become the fricatives {{IPA|[ʃ, ʒ]}}: {{IPA|[ˈʃapɨ, ˈʃinɨ, ˈʒeni]}} for standard şé''pă'', şí''nî'', ĝè''ni'' spelled ceapă, cină, gene (they are not also palatalized like in the [[Banat Romanian dialect|Banat dialect]]). As a consequence, the affricate {{IPA|[d͡ʒ]}} and the fricative {{IPA|[ʒ]}} merge into the latter: {{IPA|[ʒok, ˈsɨnʒi]}} for ''joc'', ''sânĝe''.<ref>''Tratat de dialectologie românească'', Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, Bucharest, 1984, p. 213 {{in lang|ro}}</ref> However, the ''Atlasul lingvistic român'' (1938–1942) and other field works record examples of pronunciations showing that, while the merger covers most of the dialect area, it is not systematic and sometimes found in [[free variation]]. In parts of the south-western and north-eastern Moldavia the distinction is preserved.<ref>''Atlasul lingvistic român'', edited by Sextil Puscariu, Cluj, 1938 (part I1); Sibiu, Leipzig 1942 (part I2), Sibiu, Leipzig, 1940, (part II1), Sibiu, Leipzig 1942, (supplement to part II1) {{in lang|ro}}</ref>
*After the fricatives {{IPA|[s, z, ʃ, ʒ]}} and the affricate {{IPA|[t͡s]}} (sometimes also after {{IPA|[r]}}), a [[vowel shift]] occurs that changes {{IPA|[e]}} into {{IPA|[ə]}}, {{IPA|[i]}} into {{IPA|[ɨ]}}, and {{IPA|[e̯a]}} into {{IPA|[a]}}: {{IPA|[səmn, ˈsɨŋɡur, ˈsarɨ, zər, zɨd, ˈzamɨ, ˈʃəli, raˈʃɨnɨ, ˈʒəli, t͡səs, ˈt͡sapən, rəʃʲ]}} for ''sĕmn'', ''sîngur'', ''séră'', ''ḑer'', ḑ''id'', ḑé''mă'', ''șàle'', ''rășină'', ''jale'', ''țes'', ''țeapăn'', ''reci''. In the same phonetic contexts, the phoneme {{IPA|/ʲ/}}, which is generally responsible for indicating the plural in nouns and adjectives or the second person in verbs, is no longer realized: {{IPA|[paˈrint͡s, vjez]}} (for standard ''părinți'', ''vezi''). As a consequence, the number distinction is completely lost in some nouns and adjectives, such as ''moș'', ''leneș'', ''colț'', ''ursuz''.
*The labials {{IPA|[p, b, m]}} receive a palatalized pronunciation when followed by front vowels and become {{IPA|[c, ɟ, ɲ]}}, respectively: {{IPA|[koˈkʲil, ˈɡʲini, ɲʲel]}} for ''copil'', ''bine'', ''miel''.
*Similarly, the palatalization of the labio-dentals {{IPA|[f, v]}} occurs, but in two different ways. In the southern half of the dialect area they become {{IPA|[ç, ʝ]}}, respectively, whereas in the northern half they become {{IPA|[ɕ, ʑ]}}: {{IPA|[ˈhʲerbi / ˈʃʲerbi, ɦʲiˈt͡səl / ʒʲiˈt͡səl]}} for ''fierbe'', ''vițel''.
*The dentals {{IPA|[t, d, n]}} are left unchanged before {{IPA|[e, i, e̯a]}}: {{IPA|[ˈfrunti, diˈparti, de̯al, ˈneɡru, ˈne̯aɡrə]}}.
*The affricate {{IPA|[d͡z]}} occurs, as in {{IPA|[d͡zɨk]}}, as in the Banat dialect, the Maramureș dialect and the [[Aromanian language]], whereas it evolved to {{IPA|[z]}} in the Wallachian dialect, the Criș dialect, and standard Romanian:<ref>[[Matilda Caragiu Marioțeanu]], ''Compendiu de dialectologie română'', Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, 1975, p. 90 {{in lang|ro}}</ref> {{IPA|[d͡zɨk]}} for ''zic'' (Latin ''dico'').
*In the northern part, {{IPA|[v]}} followed by {{IPA|[o, u]}} changes into {{IPA|[h]}}: ''holbură'', ''hulpe'', ''hultan'' (compare with standard ''volbură'', ''vulpe'', ''vultan'').

;Vowels
* After the labial {{IPA|[v]}}, {{IPA|[e]}} changes into {{IPA|[ə]}} and {{IPA|[e̯a]}} into {{IPA|[a]}}: {{IPA|[loˈvəsk, sə loˈvaskɨ]}} for ''lovesc'', ''să lovească''.
*Word-final {{IPA|[ə]}} becomes {{IPA|[ɨ]}}: {{IPA|[ˈmamɨ, ˈkasɨ]}} for ''mamă'', ''casă''.
*Unstressed {{IPA|[o]}} closes to {{IPA|[u]}}: {{IPA|[akupiˈrit]}} for ''acoperit'' (rare).
*The diphthong {{IPA|[o̯a]}} is preserved: {{IPA|[ˈso̯ari, ˈbo̯alɨ]}} for ''soare'', ''boală''.
*Unstressed {{IPA|[e]}} in middle and final positions closes to {{IPA|[i]}}: {{IPA|[ˈlapti, disˈfak]}} for ''lapte'', ''desfac''.
*In the northern areas, the vowel {{IPA|[ə]}} immediately before the stress opens to {{IPA|[a]}}: {{IPA|[maˈɡar, baˈtrɨn, taˈkut, paˈduri]}} for ''măgar'', ''bătrân'', ''tăcut'', ''pădure''.
*The diphthong {{IPA|[ja]}} becomes {{IPA|[je]}}: {{IPA|[bəˈjet, ɨŋkuˈjet]}} for ''băiat'', ''încuiat''.
*Etymologic {{IPA|[ɨ]}} is preserved in the words {{IPA|[ˈkɨni, ˈmɨni, mɨnʲ, ˈpɨni]}} for ''câine'', ''mâine'', ''mâini'', ''pâine''.
*The diphthong {{IPA|[e̯a]}} in final positions becomes the monophthong {{IPA|[ɛ]}}: {{IPA|[aˈvɛ, spuˈnɛ]}} for ''avea'', ''spunea''.
*Asyllabic versions of {{IPA|[i]}} and {{IPA|[u]}} occur in word-final positions: {{IPA|[pəduˈrarʲ, koʒoˈkarʲʷ]}} for ''pădurar'', ''cojocar''.

===Morphological features===

*Feminine nouns ending in ''-că'' have genitive and dative forms ending in ''-căi'': ''maicăi'', ''puicăi'' (compare with standard ''maicii'', ''puicii'').
*The noun ''tată'' "father" with the definite article has the form ''tatul'' (standard ''tatăl'').
*The possessive article is invariable: ''a meu'', ''a mea'', ''a mei'', ''a mele'' ("mine", standard ''al meu'', ''a mea'', ''ai mei'', ''ale mele'').
*The number distinction is made in verbs in the imperfect at the 3rd person: ''era / erau'', ''făcea / făceau'' (like in the standard language).
*The simple perfect is not used, except rarely, only in the 3rd person, with the simple value of a past tense.
*The auxiliary for the compound perfect has the same form for both the singular and the plural of the 3rd person: ''el o fost / ei o fost'' ("he was / they were", standard ''el a fost'', ''ei au fost'').
*In northern Moldavia, the pluperfect is also made analytically: ''m-am fost dus'', ''am fost venit'' ("I had gone, I had come", standard ''mă dusesem'', ''venisem'').
*The future tense in verbs uses the infinitive and is sometimes identical to it: ''va veni'', ''a veni'' ("he will come", standard only ''va veni'').
*The following subjunctive forms occur: ''să deie'', ''să steie'', ''să beie'', ''să ieie'', ''să vreie'' (standard ''să dea'', ''să stea'', ''să bea'', ''să ia'', ''să vrea'').
*The following imperatives occur: ''ádă'', ''vină'' (standard ''adú'', ''vino'').
*When the object of a verb is another verb, the latter is in its infinitive form, including the isolated morpheme ''a'': ''prinde a fierbe'' ("starts to boil", the standard uses the subjunctive: ''prinde să fiarbă'' or ''începe să fiarbă'').
*Genitives and datives of nouns tend to be formed analytically: ''dă mâncare la pisică'' ("give food to the cat", standard ''dă mâncare pisicii'').

===Lexical particularities===

*Some words have preserved archaic forms: ''îmblu'', ''împlu'', ''întru'', ''înflu'', ''nour'', ''dirept'' (compare with standard ''umblu'', ''umplu'', ''intru'', ''umflu'', ''nor'', ''drept'').
*A particular variant for the personal pronoun for the 3rd person occurs frequently and is used for [[Animacy|animates]] and inanimates alike: ''dânsul'', ''dânsa'', ''dânșii'', ''dânsele'' ("he, she, they" as well as "it, they", compare with ''el'', ''ea'', ''ei'', ''ele''). In the standard language, these forms have started being used as 3rd person polite pronouns.
*The demonstrative pronouns have particular forms: {{IPA|[aˈista, aˈjasta, aˈʃela, aˈʃeja]}} ("this" masculine and feminine, "that" masculine and feminine; compare with standard ''acesta'', ''aceasta'', ''acela'', ''aceea'').
*Other specific words: ''omăt'' ("snow", ''zăpadă''), ''agudă'' ("mulberry", ''dudă''), ''poame'' ("grapes", ''struguri''), ''perje'' ("plums", ''prune''), ''ciubotă'' ("high boot", ''cizmă''), ''cori'' ("measles", ''pojar''), etc.

===Sample===

Moldavian dialect: {{IPA|[jɛ aˈvɛ ˈdowɨ vaʃʲ ʃɨ sɨ ɲiˈraw ˈwaminij di ˈvaʃili jij kɨ dəˈdew 'un ʃjubəˈraʃ di ˈlapti ‖ ʃɨ aˈʃa di la o ˈvremi stɨrˈkisɨrɨ ˈvaʃili ‖ nu məj dəˈdew ˈlapti]}}

Standard Romanian: ''Ea avea două vaci și se mirau oamenii de vacile ei că dădeau un ciubăraș de lapte. Și așa de la o vreme stârpiseră vacile, nu mai dădeau lapte.''

English translation: "She had two cows and people were amazed at her cows for giving a bucketful of milk. And so from a while the cows became dry, they stopped giving milk."

<gallery caption="The Romanian vocabulary in parts of Moldavia, Bessarabia and Transnistria. Researches made by [[Gustav Weigand]]:" widths="100px" heights="100px" perrow="6">
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 67.JPG|The Romanian linguistic areal (1908)
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 65.JPG|The extension of the Moldovan characteristic isoglosses (1908)
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 25.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 33.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 26.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 34.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 27.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 35.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 28.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 36.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 29.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 37.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 30.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 38.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 31.jpg 
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 39.jpg|
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 32.jpg
File:Sprachatlas Weigand 40.jpg|
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Moldovan language]]
*[[Romanian dialects]]
*[[Romanian phonology]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==

*Vasile Ursan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120120003357/http://www.revistatransilvania.ro/arhiva/2008/pdf/numarul1/art18.pdf "Despre configurația dialectală a dacoromânei actuale"], ''Transilvania'' (new series), 2008, No. 1, pp.&nbsp;77–85 {{in lang|ro}}
*Spînu, Stela, "Graiurile româneşti din nord-estul Republicii Moldova", Chişinău, 2011
*Ilona Bădescu, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120407025704/http://cis01.central.ucv.ro/litere/idd/cursuri/an_3/dialectologie/dialectologie_an3_badescu.pdf "Dialectologie"], teaching material for the University of Craiova.
*Elena Buja, Liliana Coposescu, Gabriela Cusen, Luiza Meseșan Schmitz, Dan Chiribucă, Adriana Neagu, Iulian Pah, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110821193751/http://meridium.unistrapg.it/sites/meridium.unistrapg.internal/files/Country_report_RO_90_pagini_1_aprilie_2010_final.pdf ''Raport de țară: România''], country report for the Lifelong Learning Programme MERIDIUM {{in lang|ro}}

==Further reading==
*Marian Antofi, [http://litere.univ-ovidius.ro/Anale/03%20volumul%20XIV%202003/01%20sectiunea%20I%20-%20Sincronie%20si%20diacronie/03%20Marian%20Antofi.pdf "Evoluția consoanelor africate în subdialectul moldovenesc"], Ovidius University Annals of Philology, vol. XIV, nr. 15-21, 2003, pp.&nbsp;15–21 {{in lang|ro}}

{{Eastern Romance languages and dialects}}
{{Romanian language}}

[[Category:Romanian language varieties and styles]]
[[Category:Moldavia]]