Accentuation

Sūdovian has the same four nominal accent classes as does Lithuanian, but it has retained the original accentual state of Baltic ( an acute rising accent and a circumflex falling accent). The first class is the acute barytone paradigm. The second is the circumflex barytone paradigm. Thirdly, the acute mobile paradigm. Lastly, the circumflex mobile paradigm.

Pronunciation

Sūdovian is pronounced much like Lithuanian or Latvian. The "j" is pronounced like English "y", as in "you". Long "ō" is just that. The "ai" is often pronounced like "ei", as in the Lithuanian dialects of Sūduva (Suvalkija*). In rapid speech, the optional shortening of the nom. endings [-as], and [-is], may occur > [ -s ]. The old vowel [ā-] had aged to an [o-], as in the Lithuanian - Sūdovian Zietela dialect.

Words beginning with the labial vowels [o-] or [u-] have the West Baltic prothetic [v-] that continues to this day in and around the dialect of Vilkaviškis, and other places in Sūduva.

Examples - * "mātē" > "mote" in Sūduva dialect area, std. "urvas" > "vurvas" in Vilkaviškis and Sūduva.

Word initial  [v-] in some words is weakened. Example -  vōkapirmas "Creator". A parallel weakening is known in Sorbian. Some may say the  prothetic [v-] is "neutralized".



 

Related Books

Basanavičius, Dr. J. 1905 Lietuviškos Pasakos Dalis IV -  Lietuva, Chicago ( Click here for photo )

Drotvinas, Vincas 1992 Lexicon Lithuanicum -Mokslas, Vilnius

Endzelīns, Jānis 1971 Comparative Phonology and Morphology of the Baltic Languages -The Hague, Paris( Click here for excerpt )

Illič-Svytyč, Vladislav M. 1963 Imennaja akcentuacija v baltijskom i slavjanskom - Moskva( Click here for more )

Lalis, Antanas 1915 A Dictionary of the English and Lithuanian Languages-Lietuva, Chicago

Mažiulis, Vytautas 1990-93 Prūsų Kalbos Etimologijos Žodynas 1, 2, 3, 4-Mokslas, Vilnius ( Click here for sketch & Bio )

Mažiulis, Vytautas 1981 Prūsų Kalbos Paminklai II-Mintis, Vilnius

Klusis, Mikelis 1989 Naujosios Prūsų Kalbos Grammatika-Vilnius

Sabaliauskas, Algirdas 1990 Lietuvių Kalbos Leksika -Mokslas, Vilnius

Schmalstieg, William R. 1974 An Old Prussian Grammar-University Park and London, Penn. St. University Press ( Click here for photo )

1970 The Old Prussian Verb / Baltic Linguistics-Penn. State University Press

1983 A Lithuanian Historical Syntax -Slavica

Stundžia, B., and Mikelis Klusis 1995 The First Prussian Book -Pradai, Vilnius

Toporov, V.N. 1975- Prusskij jazyk: slovar' -Nauka, Moscow( Click here for photo )

Turkina, E 1982 Latvian-English Dictionary -Avots, Riga

Zinkevičius, Z. 1966 Lietuvių Dialektologija -Mintis, Vilnius

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 The Republic of Lithuania ruled in 2005
that SŪDUVA is only an ethnic/cultural term.
* The foreign term Suvalkija was officially reimposed on Sūduva.
~ Sūduva was not allowed to vote! ~