Dialect Leveling in Haloze, Slovenia

Dialect Leveling in Haloze, Slovenia represents an eclectic and innovative approach to Slovene dialectology. The first part of the book examines the dialect area of Haloze, a relatively underdeveloped region on Slovenia’s eastern frontier, from a descriptive and historical perspective. The phonological description of the dialect and the discussion of the linguistic history of Haloze are based on the author’s dialect recordings and fieldwork conducted over more than a decade. The initial chapters contain a basic discussion of the vocalic systems of the main regions of Haloze and a more detailed description of two regions, the village dialects of Meje and Belavšek. This description documents the most archaic forms of the dialect and clarifies where Haloze fits among the surrounding dialects and language groups. The remainder of the work is an analysis of Haloze from a contemporary point of view. A continuum model for the interaction between different varieties of the Slovene language is introduced. The modern sociolinguistic state of the dialect is discussed based on extensive interviews as well as several questionnaires conducted in the region within the last two years. All of this material indicates that the local dialect is not dying. Large percentages of people of all age groups claim to be proficient speakers of the dialect. It is also clear that, when the modern dialect of almost all local speakers is compared to the most archaic forms of the dialect, the dialect is changing. There is significant variation within the dialect. The author’s contention, supported by the results of surveys, interviews and observations, is that the local village dialect is being leveled toward the regional dialect spoken in and around the largest city of the area, Ptuj. The regional koinè, spoken in and around the city of Ptuj, is based on local dialects and is perceived by speakers as dialect. As the local village dialects are leveled toward the regional koinè, speakers continue to think of themselves as local dialect users even though they are speaking a variety of the language closer to the regional dialect than to the micro dialect of their parents and grandparents

Preliminary Report on Dialect Attitudes in Austrian and Slovene Carinthia

This paper is a preliminary analysis of an internet-based questionnaire on dialect attitudes and perceptions conducted in Slovene-speaking areas in Austrian and Slovene Carinthia

Preliminary Report on Dialect Attitudes in Austrian and Slovene Carinthia

This paper is a preliminary analysis of an internet-based questionnaire on dialect attitudes and perceptions conducted in Slovene-speaking areas in Austrian and Slovene Carinthia. The survey largely confirmed expectations. Large majorities on both sides of the border claimed to use and value the local dialect. Lower percentages in Austrian Carinthia claimed proficiency in the local dialect and that the youth of Austrian Carinthia primarily spoke the local dialect. Overall a relatively large percentage of respondents from Carinthia claimed the local dialect was dying, 35% in Slovene Carinthia and 75% in Austrian Carinthia. Respondents claimed that the local dialect is being replaced by the colloquial standard language or, on the Austrian side of the border, by German. It appears likely that the local dialects in Carinthia are being leveled toward the standard language rather than toward the regional dialect. These are not positive indicators for dialect maintenance, especially in Austrian Carinthia

Preliminary Report on Dialectological Fieldwork in Haloze, Slovenia

SLOVENE: Slovenščina je eden od najmanjših slovanskih jezikov. Govori jo malo več kot dva milijona ljudi, vendar je njen narečni zemljevid eden najbolj zapletenih in razčlenjenih v Evropi. Kljub težavam pri dokumentiranju in razčlenjevanju takega raznovrstnega narečnega sistema, je večina delov, ki sestavljajo to zapleteno celoto, že zbranih (Ramovš 1935, Rigler 1963). Vseeno pa so v slovenski narečni podobi še nekatere vrzeli, za katere je vzrok bodisi v pomanjkanju podatkov ali v nezanesljivih opisih. Ena od teh vrzeli so govori Haloz, majhnega, gričevnatega področja ob slovenski vzhodni meji. Pričujoča razprava prinaša osnovni fonološki opis dveh značilnih haloških govorov, enega iz vzhodnega (Gorenjski Vrh) in enega iz osrednjega dela (Belavšek). Te podatke je avtor uporabil v kratki obravnavi zgodovinskega izvora teh narečnih sistemov. Izvor samoglasniških fonemov govora vasi Belavšek se najde v Riglerjevem splošnem panonskem sistemu (1963: 43), temelječem na sovpadih, ki jih ta sistem predpostavlja (ei ). Najzanimivejši sovpadi so sovpadi sprednjih samoglasnikov. Tu so sovpadli refleksi dolgih *e, *ę in *. To je razvidno iz današnjih osrednjehaloških govorov. Dolgi *e, *ę in * so vsi dali e.:. V Riglerjevem panonskem sistemu je dolgi jat dvoglasnik s padajočo zvočnostjo; v današnjem govoru Belavška je refleks cirkumlektiranega jata ä:i. Tudi zadnji samoglasniki odražajo tipične panonske procese. Refleksa dolgega *o in * sta sovpadla v o:u in *l˚ je nadomestil *u, ki se je pomaknil naprej. V samoglasniškem sistemu Gorenjskega Vrha je nekaj pomembnih razlik. Dejansko sta refleksa psl. dolgega *ĕ in dolgega * v celotnem vzhodnem delu Haloz sovpadla. Združila sta se v samoglasnik, ki se razlikuje od drugih e-jevskih samoglasnikov. V govoru Gorenjskega Vrha sta dolga *ĕ in * dala e.:, medtem ko sta dolga *ę in *e sovpadla v e:. To je pomembno. Če namreč domnevamo isti izvor za samoglasniška sistema osrednjih in vzhodnih Haloz, tj. panonski izvor, potem moramo predpostavljati, da so v vzhodnih Halozah refleksi psl. *e, *ę in * zgodaj sovpadli, da so vsi imeli refleks, ki se je razlikoval od *ĕ, vendar se je * kasneje oddaljil od tega razvoja in sovpadel z *ĕ. To se zdi zelo malo verjetno. S tega stališča je veliko manj problematično izvajati samoglasniški sistem vzhodnih Haloz iz skupne kajkavske osnove, ki jo je predlagal Vermeer v svoji razpravi iz l. 1983 o razvoju kajkavskega samoglasniškega sistema (456). 4,39=35. 4,39=92. Pomemben podatek, ki izhaja iz te raziskave dveh haloških govorov, je, da haloško narečje notranje ni tako enotno, kot se je mislilo doslej. Trem notranjim izoglosam Zorkove (1. enoglasniški/dvoglasniški samoglasniški sistem, 2. kolikostna nasprotja in 3. možna tonemska nasprotja) je treba dodati še 4. pomik cirkumfleksa / delni pomik, 5. sovpad refleksov jata in polglasnika; in 6. razvoj novih dvoglasnikov, podobnih tistim, ki se najdejo v zahodnohaloških govorih. Možno je, da zemljepisno pokrajina Haloze ne predstavlja enotnega narečnega področja, ampak prostor, kjer se stikajo štajerski (zahodne Haloze), panonski (osrednje Haloze) in kajkavski (vzhodne Haloze) govori. ENGLISH: The Slovene language is one of the smallest of the Slavic family. It is spoken by somewhat more than two million people, and yet it has one of the most complex and variegated dialect maps in Europe. Notwithstanding the difficulties involved in documenting and analyzing such a diverse dialect system, most of the major pieces to this puzzle are in place (Ramovš 1935, Rigler 1963). Still, there are some holes in the Slovene dialect picture which are the result of either a lack of information or unreliable descriptions. One such gap is the dialect area of Haloze, a small, hilly region on Slovenia's eastern border. This paper provides a basic phonemic description of two representative Haloze village dialects, one from the east, Gorenjski Vrh, and one from the center, Belavšek. This data is then used in a brief discussion of the historical provenience of these dialect systems. The origin of the vocalic phonemes of Belavšek can be found in Rigler's common Pannonian system (1963: 43), based on the mergers which that system presupposes, (ei ). The mergers that are the most interesting here are those in the front of the vowel system. Here there was a merger of the reflexes of long *e, *ę and *. This can be seen in the contemporary dialects of central Haloze. Long *e, *ę and * all give e.:. In Rigler's Pannonian system the long *ĕ is a diphthong with falling sonority, and in Belavšek today the reflex of the circumflected jat is ä:i. The back of the vocalic system also reflects processes common to Pannonian dialects. The reflexes of long *o and * merged in o:u, and *l˚ replaced *u, which had fronted. The vocalic system of Gorenjski Vrh is different in several important ways. In fact all over the east of Haloze the reflexes of PSl. long *ĕ and long * have merged. They have combined into a vowel distinct from the other e-like vowels. In Gorenjski Vrh long *ĕ and * give e.:, and long *ę and *e have merged in e:. This is significant because, if we were to assume the same provenience for the vocalic systems of eastern and central Haloze, in other words a Pannonian provenience, we would need to assume that at an early stage in eastern Haloze the reflexes of the PSl. *e, *ę and * merged, all of which had a reflex distinct from *ĕ, but later * diverged from these and merged with *ĕ. This is impossible. Keeping that in mind, it is much less problematic to derive the vocalic system of eastern Haloze from a Common Kajkavian base like the one proposed by Vermeer in his 1983 discussion of the development of the Kajkavian vocalic system (456). One important bit of information that arises from this examination of two Haloze village dialects is that Haloze is not as internally uniform as was thought. To Zorko's three internal isoglosses, (1) diphthongal/monophthongal vocalic system, (2) quantity oppositions and (3) possible tonemic oppositions, we must add (4) circumflex advancement/partial advancement, (5) merger of the reflexes of the jat and the jers and (6) development of new diphthongs such as those found in western Haloze. It may be that the geographic region of Haloze does not represent one uniform dialect area, but rather the place where Styrian (western Haloze), Pannonian (central Haloze) and Kajkavian (eastern Haloze) meet

(Micro)evolutionary changes and the evolutionary potential of bird migration

Seasonal migration is the yearly long-distance movement of individuals between their breeding and wintering grounds. Individuals from nearly every animal group exhibit this behavior, but probably the most iconic migration is carried out by birds, from the classic V-shape formation of geese on migration to the amazing nonstop long-distance flights undertaken by Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea. In this chapter, we discuss how seasonal migration has shaped the field of evolution. First, this behavior is known to turn on and off quite rapidly, but controversy remains concerning where this behavior first evolved geographically and whether the ancestral state was sedentary or migratory (Fig. 7.1d, e). We review recent work using new analytical techniques to provide insight into this topic. Second, it is widely accepted that there is a large genetic basis to this trait, especially in groups like songbirds that migrate alone and at night precluding any opportunity for learning. Key hypotheses on this topic include shared genetic variation used by different populations to migrate and only few genes being involved in its control. We summarize recent work using new techniques for both phenotype and genotype characterization to evaluate and challenge these hypotheses. Finally, one topic that has received less attention is the role these differences in migratory phenotype could play in the process of speciation. Specifically, many populations breed next to one another but take drastically different routes on migration (Fig. 7.2). This difference could play an important role in reducing gene flow between populations, but our inability to track most birds on migration has so far precluded evaluations of this hypothesis. The advent of new tracking techniques means we can track many more birds with increasing accuracy on migration, and this work has provided important insight into migration's role in speciation that we will review here

A vidéki táj használatában bekövetkezett változások társadalmi reakciók tükrében

Kutatásunk alapvető célja a hazai vidéki táj használatában bekövetkezett változások vizsgálata, valamint az ezzel kapcsolatos társadalmi reakciók feltárása. Ennek során azt kívánjuk elsősorban megvizsgálni a Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park példáján, hogy a táj kezelése során milyen módon és eszközökkel törekedtek a korábbi mezőgazdasági művelés területeinek művelési ág váltására, és a természetközeli állapotok visszaállítására, illetve e folyamatban milyen eredményeket értek el. A téma időszerűségét az is jelzi, hogy az elmúlt év végén a védett területek kb. 20 %-át a Nemzeti Földalap kezelésébe adta az állam, tehát sorsuk a természetvédelem szempontjából újra bizonytalanná válhat

An improved method for measuring muon energy using the truncated mean of dE/dx

The measurement of muon energy is critical for many analyses in large Cherenkov detectors, particularly those that involve separating extraterrestrial neutrinos from the atmospheric neutrino background. Muon energy has traditionally been determined by measuring the specific energy loss (dE/dx) along the muon's path and relating the dE/dx to the muon energy. Because high-energy muons (E_mu > 1 TeV) lose energy randomly, the spread in dE/dx values is quite large, leading to a typical energy resolution of 0.29 in log10(E_mu) for a muon observed over a 1 km path length in the IceCube detector. In this paper, we present an improved method that uses a truncated mean and other techniques to determine the muon energy. The muon track is divided into separate segments with individual dE/dx values. The elimination of segments with the highest dE/dx results in an overall dE/dx that is more closely correlated to the muon energy. This method results in an energy resolution of 0.22 in log10(E_mu), which gives a 26% improvement. This technique is applicable to any large water or ice detector and potentially to large scintillator or liquid argon detectors.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure