MODIFICATIONS IN THE SYSTEM OF NUMERALS IN THE LOWER CHEPTSA DIALECT OF THE UDMURT LANGUAGE

This paper explores the functioning of numerals in the Lower Cheptsa dialect which is a part of the Northern Udmurt dialect. The relevance of the study is due to the need for a comprehensive research of the system of numerals in the context of territorial varieties of the Udmurt language. The Lower Cheptsa dialect developed in isolation from the basic area of distribution of the Udmurt dialects, as a result of which a number of features were formed in its language system. The study demonstrates that in the studied dialect numerals in their substantial and structural characteristics largely coincide with the system of the Udmurt literary language. The author focuses on peculiarities distinguishing the studied dialect from other Northern Udmurt dialects. Specific phenomena in the formation and use of certain numbering words are noted. The researcher focuses on features that are highlighted in the phonetic design of individual simple numerals. The territorial prevalence of dialect modifications of numerals in the Northern dialect space of the Udmurt language is also revealed. Language phenomena of the Lower Cheptsa dialect are compared with analogous phenomena of the Northern Udmurt dialects and other subdialects. At present, in the Lower Cheptsa dialect traditional names of numbers are used together with Russian borrowings. A similar trend has been outlined in other Udmurt dialects in recent years. The data presented show that among the examined subdialects, the Slobodskoy subdialect bears more specific features in the functioning numerals, which to a certain extent is due to the history of its formation. The empirical base of the research is the language materials of the author’s dialectological expeditions to the areas of Lower Cheptsa Udmurts.