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Rusyn (was: General)

From:Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@...>
Date:Monday, November 25, 2002, 9:22
 --- Joseph Fatula skrzypszy:

> > Last, what is the dialect/language called "Rusyn"? > > I can't help you with any Russian dialects, but Rusyn is something I know a > little about. In English it is often known as "Ruthenian". It is spoken > around the area of the old kingdom of Ruthenia, an area centered around the > part of Ukraine just touching Slovakia. It is most closely related to > Ukranian, but has borrowed a great deal of Slovak and Polish. Apparently > the easternmost Slovak dialects share some innovations with Rusyn, such as > the change of t' > c. [tj > ts] Sometimes it is called Carpatho-Rusyn or > Carpatho-Ruthenian. > > Any experts on this, please correct me. Rusyn is just something I came > across while I was researching eastern Slovak, so I'm certainly not an > authority on this.
Well, I'm not exactly an expert, but I have been doing research to the Ukrainian minority in Poland and of course during that process I often stumbled upon the Rusyns. What you write is basically correct. There are a few things I can add: The name "Ruthenian" has its roots in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, where it was used to designate all Ukrainians. Hence, the term is at least ambiguous, and I prefer to call it "Rusinian". In Poland they call themselves "Rusini", in Slovakia "Rusnaky". Other names for the language are: "Carpatho-Rusyn", "Carpatho-Ukrainian". There are three major groups/dialects: - the Lemkos (ca. 50,000 in Poland, a number I don't remember in Slovakia); - the Boikos (East of the Lemkos; some in Poland, most in Ukraine); - the Hutsuls (further South, close to Romania). Language or dialect? I've heard claims that Rusinian is the Slavic language closest to Proto-Slavic, and that it can be understood by any other Slav. I've never been able to try this personally. However, I doubt it. Like many mountaineers' languages, the Rusinian dialects are very archaic, but looking closely at them, I tend to agree with those who classify them as "Ukrainian peripheric mountain dialects". National consciousness Various. Some consider themselves Ukrainians, others Rusinians. There is a minority current among Lemkos to consider themselves Lemkos (i.e. having nothing in common particularly with other Rusinians). And many consider themselves "tutejszy" (locals); they identify themselves rather with the place where they live than with their language or religion. A difference between the Lemkos and the other Ukrainians in Poland is that the Lemkos are in majority Orthodoxe, while the Ukrainians are Greek Catholic. Jan ===== "Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com