Language Variation in Moldavian Charters of the 14th–15th Centuries: Phonetic Level
Language Variation in Moldavian Charters of the 14th–15th Centuries: Phonetic Level

Summary/Abstract: The article suggests considering the phenomenon of language variation in the diachronic aspect. The objectives of our work are to study the phonetic variation in the Cyrillic documents of the Principality of Moldavia of the period of the 14th–15th centuries, to find out the causes of graphic and phonetic variants occurrence, to establish spelling trends and oral influences in the written and literary language of that time. The phenomenon of phonetic parallelism can be traced in handwritten texts from such settlements as: Iasi, Khotyn, Neamt, Putna, Roman, Suceava, Vaslui, etc. The analysis of parallel language units in vocalism and consonantism of Moldavian charters has been carried out, and the variation of sound combinations has been characterized. The results of the study of variation language units in the texts of Moldavian charters allow concluding that church Slavonic phonetic reflexes are the elements of old Cyrillic written language. Moreover, the variation spellings show phonetic signs of Ukrainian dialect speech: prominent features of the Pokuttia-Bukovyna and Podillia dialects are preserved in the Ukrainian south-western territories to this day. Phonetic and spelling features of the influence of other linguistic systems, primarily the second South Slavic influence, as well as some phonetic features of the Polish and Romanian languages, are detected in parallel forms.

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