SYNTAX OF CLITICS IN BULGARIAN CONTACT DIALECTS
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Published:
Jun 23, 2025
Keywords:
contact-induced linguistic changes, Romanian, Tobler-Mussafia law
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Abstract
The article analyzes interference phenomena in the syntax of clitics in Bulgarian dialects that have been in contact with the Romanian language over a long period of time. The analysis focuses on Bulgarian dialects spoken in the territory of Romania, as well as the specific dialect of Novo Selo in northwestern Bulgaria. It is assumed that both Romanian syntax and dialectal features introduced by Macedonian settlers have influenced this dialect. The principles of clitic order in the sentence, characteristic of Standard Bulgarian, are largely preserved in these dialects. This is mainly due to the fact that both the donor and recipient languages belong to the group of languages with verb-oriented clitics. The analysis shows that in the examined Bulgarian dialects, clitics can appear in initial position, which means that the Tobler-Mussafia law is violated under the influence of the contact languages. At the same time, most of the restrictions on initial clitic placement present in the donor language are shown to be irrelevant.
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Ivanova , Elena. 2025. “SYNTAX OF CLITICS IN BULGARIAN CONTACT DIALECTS ”. Journal of Contemporary Philology 8 (1), 11-24. https://doi.org/10.37834/JCP258111i.
Section
Special Issue -Dedicated to the study of the Balkan languages
Copyright © 2014 Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology, Skopje
Journal of Contemporary Philology (JCP)
Современа филологија
References
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the languages of Europe, 83–121. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.
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Riemsdijk (ed.). Clitics in the Languages of Europe, 469–514. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.
Franks, S. (2008). Clitic placement, Prosody and the Bulgarian verbal complex. Journal of Slavic
linguistics, 16 (1): 91–137.
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Press.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HmU4xQvzmE
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rumynoyazychnyh karashevcev v sele Yabalcha. Indoevropejskoe yazykoznanie i klassicheskaya
filologiya, 21: 985–1001.
Krapova, I. and Tisheva, J. (2006). Clitic reduplication structures in the Bulgarian dialects. In M.
Koletnik and V. Smole (eds.). Diahronija in sinhronija v dialektoloških raziskavah, 415–421.
Maribor: Slavistično društvo.
Legendre, G. (2000). Optimal Romanian Clitics: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective. In V. Motapanyane
(ed.). Comparative Studies in Romanian Syntax, 227–264. Oxford: Elsevier.
Marinov, V. (2008). Bilingvalna interferentsiya v krayniya bălgarski severozapad. Veliko Tărnovo:
Astarta.
Matras, Y. (2020 [2009]). Language Contact, 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Miletič, L. (1901). “Arnautite” v Silistrensko i sledi ot nosovki v tekhniya ezik. Periodichesko spisanie
na Bălgarskoto knizhovno druzhestvo v Sofiya, God. 12, kn. LXI, sv. 9, 623–667. Sofiya: Dărzhavna
pechatnicza. Available from: Miletitch_arnautite_vo_Silistrensko.pdf
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Mitkovska, L. (2011). Competition between Nominal Possessive Constructions and the Possessive
Dative in Macedonian. In M. Nomachi (ed.). The Grammar of Possessivity in South Slavic
Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives, 83–110. Sapporo: Hokkaido University.
Mitkovska, L. (2014). Izrazuvanje prisvoјnost vo makedonskiot јazik. Vnatrešni i nadvorešni prisvoјni
konstrukcii. Makedonistika, 13: 9–176.
Mladenov, M. S. (1969). Govorăt na Novo selo Vidinsko. Prinos kăm problema za smesenite govori.
Trudove po bălgarska dialektologiya. Kn. 6. Sofiya: BAN.
Mladenov, M. S. 1993: Bălgarskite govori v Rumăniya. Sofia: BAN.
Mladenov, M., Nyagulov, B. and Zhechev, N. (1994). Bălgarite v Rumăniya XVII-XX v. Dokumenti i
materiali. Sofiya: Akademichno izdatelstvo “Prof. Marin Drinov”.
Mladenov, St. (1901). Kăm văprosa za ezika i nacionalnata prinadlezhnost na Novo selo, Vidinsko. In
Iv. Shishmanov (ed). Sbornik za narodni umotvoreniya, nauka i knizhnina. 471–506. Kn. XVIII.
Sofiya. Dărzhavna pechatnica.
Mladenova, O. (2003). English summary to: M. Mladenov. The Dialect of Novo Selo, Vidin Region: A
Contribution to the Study of Mixed Dialects. PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository.
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/44632
Mladenova, O. and Mladenova, D. (2001–2008). Transdanubian Electronic Corpus. Available
from: http://www.corpusbdr.info.
Morozova, M. S. and Rusakov, A. Y. (2021). Societal multilingualism à la balkanique: the Montenegrin
Velja Gorana and beyond. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25 (4): 999–1018.
Niculescu, D. (2008). Romanian possessive dative – the limits of the structure. Revue roumaine de
linguistique, 53(4): 485–515.
Petrova, G. and Ivanova, E. (2017). Klăsterizaciya na mestoimennite klitiki v bălgarskiya ezik:
văzmozhnosti i ogranicheniya. Săvremenni tendentsii v ezikovedskite izsledvaniya, 116–130.
Sofiya: Akademichno izdatelstvo "Prof. Marin Drinov".
Romanski, S. (1930). Bălgarite văv Vlashko i Moldova. Dokumenti. Sofiya: Dărzhavna pechatnica.
Schürcks, L. and Wunderlich, D. (2003). Determiner-possessor relation in the Bulgarian DP. In: M.
Coene and Y. D’Hulst (eds.). From NP to DP. Volume II: The expression of possession in noun
phrases, 121–139. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Sobolev, A. N. (1995). O nekim јužnoslovenskim govornim oazama u istočnoј Srbiјi, zapadnoј
Bugarskoј i Rumuniјi (Vratarnica, Novo selo, Svinica). Zbornik Matice srpske za filologiјu i
lingvistiku, XXXVIII(2): 183–207.
Sugai, K. (2015a). Za nyakoi specifichni harakteristiki na mestoimennite klitiki v grebenskiya govor v
Rumăniya. Bălgarska rech, 2: 102–109.
Sugai, K. (2015b). Kăm văprosa za udvoyavaneto na pryakoto dopălnenie v bălgarskiya govor v
Rumăniya (Analiz v săpostavka s rumănskiya ezik). In M. Mldenova (ed.). Dvizhenie i prostranstvo
v slavyanskite ezici, literaturi i kulturi, 1: 94–102. Sofiya: Univ. izd. “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”.
Thomason, S. G. and Kaufman, T. (1988). Language contact, creolization, and genetic linguistics.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
Zimmerling, A. (2012a). Sistemy poryadka slov s klitikami v slavyanskix jazykah. Voprosy
jazykoznanija, 5: 3–37.
Zimmerling, A. (2012b). Sistemy poryadka slov s klitikami v tipologičeskom aspekte. Voprosy
jazykoznanija, 4: 3–38.
Zimmerling, A. V. (2013). Sistemy poryadka slov slavyanskikh yazykov v tipologicheskom aspekte.
Moscow: Yazyki slavyanskoi kultury.
Zimmerling, A. (2015). 1P orders in 2P languages. In E.A. Lyutikova, A.V. Zimmerling and M.B.
Konoshenko (eds.). Tipologiya morfosintaksicheskikh parametrov 2015, 459–483. Moscow:
Moscow Pedagogical State University.
Zimmerling, А. (2022). Clitics. In J. Fellerer and N. Bermel (eds.). The Oxford Guide to the Slavonic
Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zimmerling, A. and Kosta, P. (2013). Slavic clitics: a typology. Language Typology and Universals
(STUF) 66 (2): 178–214.
Zwicky, A. (1977). On Clitics. Bloomington: Indiana University Linguistics Club.
Bolokan, G. (1968): Bolgarskij govor sela Brenesht'. Vokalizm. Revue roumaine de linguistique, 2:
147–164.
Cinque, G. and Krapova, I. (2009). The two „possessor raising” constructions of Bulgarian. In S. Franks,
V. Chidambaram and B. D. Joseph (eds.). A Linguist’s Linguist: Studies in South Slavic Linguistics
in Honor of E. Wayles Browne, 123–148. Bloomington: Slavica Publishers.
Dimchev, K. (1974). Morfologichno-sintaktichni modeli, ustanoveni pod rumănsko vliyanie v
bălgarskiya govor na s. Valya Draguluj (Rumăniya). Ezikovedski izsledvaniya, 255–259. Sofiya:
BAN.
Dimitrova, C. (2023). Bălgarskite klitiki: istoriya i nastoyashche. Sofiya: Institut za bălgarski ezik.
Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M. (1999). Clitics in the Slavic languages. In van H. Riemsdijk (ed.). Clitics in
the languages of Europe, 83–121. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.
Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M. and Hellan, L. (1999). Clitics and Bulgarian Clause Structure. In van H.
Riemsdijk (ed.). Clitics in the Languages of Europe, 469–514. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.
Franks, S. (2008). Clitic placement, Prosody and the Bulgarian verbal complex. Journal of Slavic
linguistics, 16 (1): 91–137.
Friedman, V. A. and Joseph B. D. (in press). The Balkan Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Iliev, I. (2018). Bălgarska dialektologiya: Novo selo, Vidinsko. Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HmU4xQvzmE
Ivanova, E. Yu. (2024). Linejno-sintaksicheskie svojstva klitik v grebenskom dialekte bolgarskogo
yazyka. In LII Mezhdunarodnaya nauchnaya filologicheskaya konferenciya imeni L. A. Verbickoj
19–26 marta 2024, Sankt-Peterburg. Sbornik tezisov, 1473–1475. SPb.: Izd-vo SPbGU.
Ivanova, E. Yu. (in press). Inicial'nye klitiki v bolgarskih govorah v svete kontaktologii.
Indoevropejskoe yazykoznanie i klassicheskaya filologiya, XXIX.
Ivanova, E. Yu. and Gradinarova, A. A. (2015). Sintaksicheskaya sistema bolgarskogo yazyka na fone
russkogo. Moscow: Yazyki slavyanskoi kultury.
Kochev, I. (1969). Grebenskiyat govor v Silistrensko (s osoben ogled kăm leksikalnata mu sistema).
Trudove po bălgarska dialektologiya. Kn. 5. Sofiya: BAN.
Konyor, D. V. and Sobolev, A. N. (2017). Osobennosti neravnovesnogo bilingvizma u
rumynoyazychnyh karashevcev v sele Yabalcha. Indoevropejskoe yazykoznanie i klassicheskaya
filologiya, 21: 985–1001.
Krapova, I. and Tisheva, J. (2006). Clitic reduplication structures in the Bulgarian dialects. In M.
Koletnik and V. Smole (eds.). Diahronija in sinhronija v dialektoloških raziskavah, 415–421.
Maribor: Slavistično društvo.
Legendre, G. (2000). Optimal Romanian Clitics: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective. In V. Motapanyane
(ed.). Comparative Studies in Romanian Syntax, 227–264. Oxford: Elsevier.
Marinov, V. (2008). Bilingvalna interferentsiya v krayniya bălgarski severozapad. Veliko Tărnovo:
Astarta.
Matras, Y. (2020 [2009]). Language Contact, 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Miletič, L. (1901). “Arnautite” v Silistrensko i sledi ot nosovki v tekhniya ezik. Periodichesko spisanie
na Bălgarskoto knizhovno druzhestvo v Sofiya, God. 12, kn. LXI, sv. 9, 623–667. Sofiya: Dărzhavna
pechatnicza. Available from: Miletitch_arnautite_vo_Silistrensko.pdf
Mišeska Tomić, O. (2008). Makedonskite klitiki vo balkanskoto okruženie. Skopje: MANU.
Mitkovska, L. (2011). Competition between Nominal Possessive Constructions and the Possessive
Dative in Macedonian. In M. Nomachi (ed.). The Grammar of Possessivity in South Slavic
Languages: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives, 83–110. Sapporo: Hokkaido University.
Mitkovska, L. (2014). Izrazuvanje prisvoјnost vo makedonskiot јazik. Vnatrešni i nadvorešni prisvoјni
konstrukcii. Makedonistika, 13: 9–176.
Mladenov, M. S. (1969). Govorăt na Novo selo Vidinsko. Prinos kăm problema za smesenite govori.
Trudove po bălgarska dialektologiya. Kn. 6. Sofiya: BAN.
Mladenov, M. S. 1993: Bălgarskite govori v Rumăniya. Sofia: BAN.
Mladenov, M., Nyagulov, B. and Zhechev, N. (1994). Bălgarite v Rumăniya XVII-XX v. Dokumenti i
materiali. Sofiya: Akademichno izdatelstvo “Prof. Marin Drinov”.
Mladenov, St. (1901). Kăm văprosa za ezika i nacionalnata prinadlezhnost na Novo selo, Vidinsko. In
Iv. Shishmanov (ed). Sbornik za narodni umotvoreniya, nauka i knizhnina. 471–506. Kn. XVIII.
Sofiya. Dărzhavna pechatnica.
Mladenova, O. (2003). English summary to: M. Mladenov. The Dialect of Novo Selo, Vidin Region: A
Contribution to the Study of Mixed Dialects. PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository.
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/44632
Mladenova, O. and Mladenova, D. (2001–2008). Transdanubian Electronic Corpus. Available
from: http://www.corpusbdr.info.
Morozova, M. S. and Rusakov, A. Y. (2021). Societal multilingualism à la balkanique: the Montenegrin
Velja Gorana and beyond. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25 (4): 999–1018.
Niculescu, D. (2008). Romanian possessive dative – the limits of the structure. Revue roumaine de
linguistique, 53(4): 485–515.
Petrova, G. and Ivanova, E. (2017). Klăsterizaciya na mestoimennite klitiki v bălgarskiya ezik:
văzmozhnosti i ogranicheniya. Săvremenni tendentsii v ezikovedskite izsledvaniya, 116–130.
Sofiya: Akademichno izdatelstvo "Prof. Marin Drinov".
Romanski, S. (1930). Bălgarite văv Vlashko i Moldova. Dokumenti. Sofiya: Dărzhavna pechatnica.
Schürcks, L. and Wunderlich, D. (2003). Determiner-possessor relation in the Bulgarian DP. In: M.
Coene and Y. D’Hulst (eds.). From NP to DP. Volume II: The expression of possession in noun
phrases, 121–139. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Sobolev, A. N. (1995). O nekim јužnoslovenskim govornim oazama u istočnoј Srbiјi, zapadnoј
Bugarskoј i Rumuniјi (Vratarnica, Novo selo, Svinica). Zbornik Matice srpske za filologiјu i
lingvistiku, XXXVIII(2): 183–207.
Sugai, K. (2015a). Za nyakoi specifichni harakteristiki na mestoimennite klitiki v grebenskiya govor v
Rumăniya. Bălgarska rech, 2: 102–109.
Sugai, K. (2015b). Kăm văprosa za udvoyavaneto na pryakoto dopălnenie v bălgarskiya govor v
Rumăniya (Analiz v săpostavka s rumănskiya ezik). In M. Mldenova (ed.). Dvizhenie i prostranstvo
v slavyanskite ezici, literaturi i kulturi, 1: 94–102. Sofiya: Univ. izd. “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”.
Thomason, S. G. and Kaufman, T. (1988). Language contact, creolization, and genetic linguistics.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
Zimmerling, A. (2012a). Sistemy poryadka slov s klitikami v slavyanskix jazykah. Voprosy
jazykoznanija, 5: 3–37.
Zimmerling, A. (2012b). Sistemy poryadka slov s klitikami v tipologičeskom aspekte. Voprosy
jazykoznanija, 4: 3–38.
Zimmerling, A. V. (2013). Sistemy poryadka slov slavyanskikh yazykov v tipologicheskom aspekte.
Moscow: Yazyki slavyanskoi kultury.
Zimmerling, A. (2015). 1P orders in 2P languages. In E.A. Lyutikova, A.V. Zimmerling and M.B.
Konoshenko (eds.). Tipologiya morfosintaksicheskikh parametrov 2015, 459–483. Moscow:
Moscow Pedagogical State University.
Zimmerling, А. (2022). Clitics. In J. Fellerer and N. Bermel (eds.). The Oxford Guide to the Slavonic
Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zimmerling, A. and Kosta, P. (2013). Slavic clitics: a typology. Language Typology and Universals
(STUF) 66 (2): 178–214.
Zwicky, A. (1977). On Clitics. Bloomington: Indiana University Linguistics Club.