Mankov Alexander

The Dialect of Gammalsvenskby: compiling a dictionary of an unexplored language (lägge — mūär)

Abstract

This paper presents new material for the dictionary of the present-day dialect of Staroshvedkoye (Gammalsvenskby), the only Scandinavian dialect in the territory of the former Soviet Union. The present-day state of this dialect has not been described in linguistic literature. The only source of data on Gammalsvenskby is fi eldwork with speakers of the dialect. The main objective of this work is to present material recorded in the interviews in the most complete way possible and to describe the state of the vocabulary and inflection in the dialect. The entries include the following information: type of inflection; translation; phrases, sentences and short texts illustrating the usage (with initials of the informants). In many cases full paradigms are given as well. They include all phonetic and morphological forms that have occurred in the interviews.

Keywords

language documentation, documentary linguistics, fi eld linguistics, endangered language, Swedish dialects, Swedish dialects of Estonia, Gammalsvenskby, dialect dictionary

References

1. Mankov A. (2014) “Dialekt sela Staroshvedskoe: opyt sostavleniia slovaria ischezaiushchego iazyka (a — brist-bäin)” [The Dialect of Gammalsvenskby: Compiling a Dictionary of an Endangered Language (a — brist-bäin)]. Vestnik PSTGU. Seriia III: Filologiia, 38, pp. 91‒130 (in Russian).
2. Mankov A. (2019) “Dialekt sela Staroshvedskoe: opyt sostavleniia slovaria neizuchennogo iazyka (laitär — lū)” [The Dialect of Gammalsvenskby: Compiling a Dictionary of an Endangered Language (laitär — lū)]. Vestnik PSTGU. Seriia III: Filologiia, 60, pp. 104–125 (in Russian).

Information about the author

Mankov Alexander

Academic Degree: Candidate of Sciences* in Philology;
Place of work: St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities; 6 Likhov Pereulok, Moscow 127051, Russian Federation; Royal Society for Swedish Cultur e Abroad, Department of Swedish, Gothenburg University, Dicksonsgatan 6, Box 53066, 400 14 Gothenbur g, Sweden;
Post: Senior Research Fellow;
ORCID: 0000-0002-5735-0955;
Email: mankov2017@gmail.com.

*According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011, the degree of Candidate of Sciences (Cand.Sc.) belongs to ISCED level 8 — "doctoral or equivalent", together with PhD, DPhil, D.Lit, D.Sc, LL.D, Doctorate or similar.

Acknowledgments

This study was carried out in 2019 as part of the project " The Dialect of Gammalsvenskby" supported by the Foundation for the Development of St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities. I am also grateful to Tamara Torstendahl-Salytjeva, without whose help this research would be impossible.