The article discusses the delimitation criteria between Slovene dialects and sub-dialects within a dialect base. Moreover, it offers defining characteristics for each dialect and sub-dialect. The criteria for horizontal dialect delimitation and classification are of a genetic as well as a structural nature and are combined in a complementary way. If the neighbouring idioms match with regard to genetic criteria, structural criteria are decisive, but if the neighbouring idioms share structural criteria, the genetic criteria apply. However, for the definition of a new dialect or sub-dialect a number of innovations are needed. The described approach towards the delimitation of language reality takes into account the factual geo-linguistic reality of the language continuum in question, balancing genetic and structural criteria. Furthermore, the horizontal dialect classification has to consider the phenomena of transitional areas and dialect islands.
|
