Möten i dialektalt gränsland : Dialektala övergångar genom Närke

Sammanfattning: The province of Närke comprises, together with Södermanland, a transition area characterised by a mixture of linguistic features from the Götaland dialects (götamål) and Central Swedish dialects (uppsvenska). One purpose of the study is to test and develop the dialectal transition theory established by J. K. Chambers and P. Trudgill. Another one is to determine the distribution patterns for a number of dialectal transitions in the above-mentioned contact area and to discover linguistic and non-linguistic reasons for them. The third purpose is to describe an aspect of the Närke dialect (närkemålet). The dissertation takes up six transitions covering four linguistic features: dropping of final t in endings, weakening of unstressed i and a and syncope of suffix vowels. From the survey it can be seen that all transitions take place gradually, although there are some exceptions. This means that the transitions are to be seen as dialectal continua. Occasionally the change of a transition, at least in part, is more or less abrupt. In one or two cases there are isogloss conditions. The fact that syncope of suffix vowels and dropped t are mutually exclusive favours retention of final t, as does the hiatus contraction. The vowel balance has some explanatory value for the weakening of unstressed i and a. However, the linguistic explanations should be supplemented with non-linguistic ones. The distribution patterns are compared with various topographical, demographic and ethnogeographical factors. The study shows that population density is of fundamental importance for dialectal distribution. This is reflected in the fact that, in one respect, central Närke is a fairly closely connected dialect-geographical unit. But since the area is a part of several transitional zones it can from another perspective be seen as the opposite.