The Torlak Dialect Complex in the Light of Balkan Linguistics (Some Aspects of Internal and External Linguistics)

Abstract

The article characterizes the Torlak dialect complex as a unique taxonomic unit of the Slavic linguistic space. These strongly balkanized West South Slavic dialects differ from each other in a significant way, are separated by political boundaries, located in significantly different sociolinguistic situations and do not have an integral description, since they are studied separately in the competing national South Slavic dialectologies. The most relevant diagnostic features of the idioms of Prizren, Southern Metohija, northern Shar Planina, Southern Kosovo, Dolni Polog, Timok and Northern Stara Planina are briefly presented; the conclusion is reached concerning the need for a generalizing transboundary description of all levels of the linguistic structure (and in particular – functional morphosyntax) with a general Balkan background. The same goes for the study of divergent processes under the influence of different standard South Slavic languages, as well as the results of interaction with the Albanian language in the western part of the Torlak dialect complex.