Sociolinguistic Comparison of the Development of Estonian and Hungarian Dialect Areas
Sociolinguistic Comparison of the Development of Estonian and Hungarian Dialect Areas

Summary/Abstract: The article presents a comparative study of the development of Estonian and Hungarian dialect areas. It discusses the influence of language-external factors on the emergence of dialect boundaries. Particular attention is paid to the transitional areas between the core dialect areas. The study analyzes the importance of cultural, administrative, and natural boundaries in the divergence of dialects. It shows that despite differences between the settlement and linguistic histories of Estonia and Hungary, one can observe several similarities in the language-external impact. The authors focus on different types of transitional areas, including the central transitional areas between the main dialect regions, which could have magnified linguistic innovations, and the peripheral border areas, which have contributed to the survival of archaic features.

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