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The Dialect of Dvimurholt and Surrounding Areas
The Fjellsmål dialect is a dialect of Norse spoken in the state of Bergstat (formerly part of Dvimurholt during the Grand Kingdom Era), especially around Eikbu, in eastern parts of Sundstat and western parts of Østestat. The dialect has many unique features which set it apart from standard Norse, but it is still generally intelligible to those whom have never used Fjellsmål before. It is spoken by nearly 340,000 people throughout The Union and enjoys status as a Designated Major Dialect in The Union.
The usage of the letter W in the first syllable, given names and names stems from it's use in both Old Norse and from periods of influence Gotzborgische settlers in the First Age. Between the two, the letter W has found it's way into being one of the most distinct features of this dialect. However, it is sounded much like the letter V. Here are some examples of the usage of W in Fjellsmål:
- Vi becomes Wi
Verden becomes Werden
Vanskelig becomes Wanskelig
Svart becomes Swart
Svinekjøtt becomes Swinekjøtt
Pronouns are another distinct feature within Fjellsmål and differ slightly from their Standard Norse equivalents. This is particularly obvious in the pronouns Jeg, Meg and Deg (I, me(obj.) and you(obj.)). In Fjellsmål they follow closer to their Old Norse origins and are Æk, Mik and Digge. Third-person personal pronouns are also different, again following closer to their Old Norse roots:
- De (they) becomes Dæ
Dem (them) becomes Dæm
Deres (their) becomes Dær
Deres (theirs) becomes Dære
In Fjellsmål, the letter R is pronounced quite differently than in Standard Norse. Standard Norse pronunciation of the letter R is a short alveolar trill (IPA [r]), whereas in Fjellsmål, it is a more guttural uvular fricative (IPA [ʁ]).
Fjellsmåll also has a difference in pronunciation in the consonant diphthongs kj, sj, sk and skj. The latter three are pronounced letter-for-letter in contrast to the Standard Norse pronunciation of a simple [ʃ]. Kj, on the other hand is pronounced with a sharper [ʃ], with a slight [j] at the very end of it (i.e. it is palatalized).
Fjellsmål utilizes different articles as well. Gender is narrowed down to a simple masculine-feminine system with no differentiation between masculine and neuter. That said, the most unique feature of grammatical articles in Fjellsmål is the use of the antique letter ð (IPA: [ð]). However, unlike Standard Norse, articles are only used in the form of separate particles rather than as particles and suffixes. Outside of the ceremonial uses of Old Norse, this is the only instance of ð still being in use in modern times.
- Definite Masculine/Neuter Article: ðir
Indefinite Masculine/Neuter Article: en
Definite Feminine Article: ða
Indefinite Feminine Article: an