About the language

Slovak dialects are the vernacular languages spoken by the indigenous populations of the different regions in Slovakia, in everyday social and working situations. Slovak dialects are passed orally from one generation to the next, although the process of levelling can be observed in this area. Slovak dialects are divided into three basic groups:

Geographical classification of Slovak dialects

a) Western Slovak dialects

The Western Slovak dialects are found spread across the Trenčín, Nitra, Trnava, Myjava areas and in other regions.

20. Upper Trenčín dialects
21. Lower Trenčín dialect
22. Váh river dialect
23. Central Nitra dialects
24. Lower Nitra dialects
25. Trnava area dialects
26. Záhorie dialect

b) Central Slovak dialects

Central Slovak dialects are spoken in the regions of Liptov, Orava, Turiec, Tekov, Hont, Novohrad, Gemer and in the Zvolen area.

10. Liptov dialects
11. Orava dialects
12. Turiec dialect
13. Upper Nitra dialects
14. Zvolen dialects
15. Tekov dialects
16. Hont dialect
17. Novohrad dialects
18. Gemer dialects

c) Eastern Slovak dialects

Eastern Slovak dialects can be found in the regions of Spiš, Šariš, Zemplín and Abov.

30. Spiš dialects
31. Abov dialects
32. Šariš dialects
33. Zemplín dialect
34. Soták dialects
35. Už dialects
36. Goral dialects
37. Ukrainian dialects
38. Various dialect areas
39. Hungarian dialects

These groups are further divided into a variety of subdialects (each village has its own dialect); mountain regions in particular have widely varying dialects. In the past, the mountainous character of the country increased the linguistic isolation of the population in the individual provinces. The development of the various dialects was also influenced by the movement and migration of the population, colonization, mingling of different dialect types, influence of neighbouring Slavonic and non-Slavonic languages, changes in the occupations of the population, etc. Depending on the nature of dialects and occurrence of certain characteristics in the dialects, Slovak dialects in Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and other countries with large Slovak communities can be included to these groups. Since there are relatively few written records on monuments or in documents, Slovak dialects are the basic source of information about Slovak historical grammar.

Western Slovak dialect (Lozorno)

About a wedding

Nuž ale, ke com si ho vivoliua, no tak, teda bude že jako svadba. Tak, v Malackách bívali jarmaki, tak sem si k téj svadbje, on sa visuoviu, že ked aj svadba nebude z muzikú, ale nevjesta musí bid ovjenčená. No tag musela sem do tích Malaceg ít a pokúpit si to, co nevjestička potrebuje. Žeňichovi košilu a on zas prsté ki, ja péra do vjenca a paprika a rúžički a fšelico. Poščal mi štiri koruni na papriku, lebo už mi nezbili. A to mi bude vitíkat asi po celí život, že mi poščal štiri koruni na papriku.

Tak teda došua domú, našua si kerá mi uvjeje vjenec, kerá mi šati ušije, kerá mňa teda obleče. A mňeua sem ušetreních z Rakú z repi pjecto korún. Za to sem si robiua tú svadbičku. Nakúpiua, uš cukr, pekar ňeco upékeu. Roďičú sem mňeua v Jabuoňovém, museua sem ít bez žeňícha ich volat. A šecko zestaviua si sama.

Central Slovak dialect (Vyšná Boca)

The King Matthias and the shepherd

Prišľi valasi, bača dau každímu robotu. Jeden navariu halušiek a potom si sadli gu večeri. Král museu ťie s ňimi.

Jedli, jedli a ako jedli, Maťiaž viličkou si vzau škvarku o druhího kraja, ďe bača jeu. A bača mu pac po ruki: „U ná si misí každí zo svojho kraja jesť.“ Maťiaž ňidž ňepovedau, ale nahau tak.

Keť potom král prišieu domou na svoj dvor, dau urobiď velkú hosťinu a zavolau i baču. Pekňe ho preobliekli, tag abi hosťia ňeveďeli chto je a keď už mali sadaď za stuol, Maťiaš král ho napomenú: „Vieš, čo si so mnou urobiu, ke com poblúďiu na polovački? Ak ťi to istuo ňeurobíš jednemu mojmu miňistrovi, čo tiež vždi druhímu spod úzd berie, buďeš sťaťí.“

Eastern Slovak dialect (Záhradne)

Childhood memories

No tag od maľučka, jak som bula, hej? Ja som rodzena f Sordoku. Virosla som, ta bulo... veľki valal, dvačislovi. Dva čisla buľi. A som bula najkrajša dzifka i najbriča dzifka. Bo vecej ňebulo f calim valaľe. No a potim uš som ta kuščičko začala dzifčic, pochodzila som. Britka som ňebula, šumna som ňebula, no aľe frajira som mohla mac. A hej, no ta uš, ve com dorosla, tag mi bulo ośemnac rokoch som śe vidala do Zahradneho, dakedi to bul Šedikart. No muža som dostala, on bul toten, ňe ťesar, aľe kolar. Koľesar, hej. Mala som potim dzeci...

No a tak som mala jedno, druhe, trece, štvarte, pijate, šeste, śidme, osme, dzevjate. Že som teľo. No kuščičko zme maľi źemoch, aľe to bulo slabo, tagže som muśela tote kravi chovadz na cherbece. Tak som, rano som porodzila a o tidzeň som bula v ľeśe. A tri kilometre som ňesla zajdu na sebe, ze stražu. Taku že mohla mac pejdześat kila. A tri kilometre som ju ňesla do Zahradneho a pul druha tižňa tag bulo dzifčecu. No, to bulo jedno, som śe trapila.