Актуалізація фонетичних діалектних рис середньополіської говірки в збірці малої прози «Ангели в намистах» Олени Лотоцької: вокалізм

The article addresses the issue of the actualization of phonetic dialectal features in the field of vocalism characteristic of the Central Polissian dialect, as found in Olena Lototska’s short prose collection Ангели в намистах [Angels in Necklaces]. It is noted that the author, especially through the speech of her characters, demonstrates all the main features of the Central Polissian vowel system. Among these are the occurrences of *ě as [е] in unstressed positions and as [и] in stressed ones, with sporadic occurrences of [i], indicating dynamic changes in the dialects; the consistent use of the monophthong [у] in place of the etymological *o, mostly in stressed newly closed syllables, while [o] is preserved in open syllables; the presence of the monophthong [у] with softening of the preceding consonant in place of the old *e in newly closed stressed syllables; the preservation of the old *i as [i], which tends to soften the preceding consonant; and the realization of *ę as the monophthong [e], with the consonant [л] before it retaining its historical palatalization. The aim of the study is to characterize the phonetic features of the Central Polissian dialect in the field of vocalism as actualized in Olena Lototska’s recent collection of short prose Angels in Necklaces. The study analyses the phonetic features of the vowel system identified through continuous sampling from the collection. It reveals the regularity of the functioning of Central Polissian phonetic traits in the speech of the characters. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that Lototska’s collection of prose miniatures Angels in Necklaces has not previously been the subject of a systematic linguistic study with regard to the phonetic dialectal features of the Central Polissian vocalism system. The study also further develops the discussion of the importance of actualizing dialectal speech, especially that of archaic dialectal areas, in the literary discourse of contemporary authors. Future research is expected to focus on the morphological features of the Central Polissian dialect as actualized in Lototska’s collection Angels in Necklaces, as well as on the worldview of the Polissian people as represented in the verbal content of the texts.