Tetovo dialect

The sufferings of the beautiful princess

Excerpt from a story told by an old woman from Čelopek in the Tetovo dialect

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The Tetovo dialect (Macedonian: Тетовски дијалект, Tetovski dijalekt) or Lower Polog dialect (Macedonian: Долнополошки дијалект, Dolnopološki dijalekt) is a member of the western subgroup of the northern group of dialects of Macedonian. It is considered part of the transitional Torlakian dialects. It is spoken by the population in the north-western part of North Macedonia. This dialect is spoken in the city of Tetovo, Brvenica and Jegunovce Municipality (without the villages Vratnica, Belovište, Staro Selo and Rogačevo who speak the Vratnica dialect). One of the main characteristics of this dialect is the use of the words таќе (taḱe) – "on that way" and ваќе (vaḱe) – "on this way". The Tetovo dialect can be found in several books, two of which were written by Kiril Peychinovich, namely Ogledalo and Uteshenia greshnim.^[1]

^ According to the book's title page, it was written in the 'most common and illiterary Bulgarian language of Lower Moesia' ('препростейшим и некнижним язиком Болгарским долния Мисии'). It was printed in 1816 in Budapest.

[1] According to the book's title page, it was written in the 'most common and illiterary Bulgarian language of Lower Moesia' ('препростейшим и некнижним язиком Болгарским долния Мисии'). It was printed in 1816 in Budapest.

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