Tavastian Dialects

Tavastian dialects ( fi, Hämäläismurteet) are Western Finnish dialects spoken in parts of Western and Southern Finland. The dialect spoken in the city of Tampere is part of the Tavastian dialects. The Tavastian dialects have influenced other Finnish dialects (especially the Southwest Finnish dialects).

Dialectal features

Pronunciation of D

Where Standard Finnish has /d/, the Tavastian dialects have either /r/ or /l/ in its place. The ''r''-pronunciation is the more common one. The ''l''-pronunciation is encountered on two separate areas: in the eastern boundary of the dialect area as well as in a smaller area which includes Akaa and Tammela to name a few.

Therefore, ''lehdet'' (leaves) can be pronounced as ''lehret'' or ''lehlet''. However, the plural of ''vesi'' (water, standard plural ''vedet'') can be pronounced as ''veset'' in the ''r''-dialects, in order to not cause confusion with ''veret'' (bloods, plural of ''veri'').

Pronunciation of ''ts''

Instead of the standard consonant cluster ''ts'', ''tt'' (long /t/) is used, e.g. ''metsä'' (forest) is ''mettä''. It is not affected by consonant gradation, so the genitive form is ''mettän''.

At least historically, the dialects of Tuusula, Pornainen and nearby areas used a ''ss'' instead, e.g. ''messä'', genitive: ''messän''. This has mainly been supplanted by the more common ''tt''-pronunciation.

Diphthongs uo, yö and

The Standard Finnish diphthongs /uo/, /yö/ and correspond respectively to /ua/, /yä/ and /iä/. For example, ''nuori'' (young) is pronounced ''nuari''.

Long a and ä

As is the case for other western Finnish dialects, the Tavastian dialects mostly use the standard-like ''aa'' and ''ää''. The dialects near Ikaalinen are an exception, as ''aa'' and ''ää'' have developed into ''oo'' (long � and ''ee'' (long � respectively, e.g. ''moo'' instead of ''maa'' and ''pee'' instead of ''pää''. Nowadays this feature is rarer.

A diphthongization of ''ää'' into ''iä'' or ''ie'' has been attested from the dialects near Hollola, e.g. ''pää'' may be ''piä'' or ''pie'' and ''leipää'' ("bread", partitive) may be ''leipiä'' or ''leipie''. This feature is rare nowadays.

''-ea'' and ''-eä''

''-ea'' and ''-eä'' are most notably used as a suffix for adjectives. In the Tavastian dialects, the most common variant of this is ''-ee'', e.g. ''korkee'' instead of ''korkea'' (high). The variant used for shorter words, such as ''pimeä'' (dark), may be either ''pimee'' or ''pimmee'', depending on whether the dialect has gemination or not.

The standard ''-ea''-type is found in northern Päijät-Häme, such as in Nastola, Hollola and Heinola.

A rare ''-ie''-type (''korkie, pimie'') has been attested from Lammi, Hämeenkoski and Padasjoki.

/h/ after unstressed syllables

The ''h''-sound after unstressed syllables has been preserved in the dialects of Kymenlaakso. For example, ''lampaat'' (sheep, plural) may be ''lampahat'' as in many Southern Ostrobothnian dialects and ''tupaan'' (illative of ''tupa'') may be ''tupah'' similarly to its equivalent in the Karelian language. Other Tavastian dialects have not preserved this sound.

Illative case

Third infinitive

A suffix ''-Vn'' (where ''V'' corresponds to the preceding vowel) is used instead of the standard ''-maan/-mään'', e.g. ''ottaan, tekeen'' instead of ''ottamaan, tekemään''.

Other features

In the Tavastian dialects, /Å‹k/, doesn't change with consonant gradiation: henki - henken (standard Finnish: henki - hengen).

In the southeastern Tavastian dialects, words often have a final -i, that is not found in standard Finnish, Tavastian min nimei 'my name' (standard Finnish: minun nimi).

See also

* Tavastians

References

Finnish dialects

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