Amsterdam-Atlanta: Rodopi, 343 pp., Hfl. 140 /
US$ 78 (ISBN 90-420-0548-3)
Due to migrations in past centuries, there are some 80
villages in and around the Austrian-Hungarian border region where Croatian
immigrant dialects are spoken. These dialects are of linguistic interest in that
they have often been separated from their original surroundings very long ago
and can therefore contribute to the reconstruction of the premigratory
Serbo-Croatian dialect picture. Moreover, they show the results of all kinds of
contacts with other dialects and languages. This book offers a synchronic
description of the only dialect in this area that belongs to the Kajkavian group
of Serbo-Croatian. Hidegség and Fertőhomok are located near Sopron in the
northwest of Hungary. The description is based on field-work by the author and
concentrates on phonology, morphology and vocabulary. The Croatian dialect of
Hidegség and Fertőhomok is on the verge of extinction and this has clear
effects on the dialect itself. Therefore, apart from its relevance for
Serbo-Croatian dialectology and the study of language contacts, the book
contains useful material for the study of dialect death.
Contents:
Dialect texts
Lexicon
References