Editing Veps language (section)

==Dialects==
Veps shows substantial dialectal variation, affecting both phonetics and grammatical features. Three main dialect areas can be distinguished, the northern, central and southern dialects.

===Northern===
Northern Veps is spoken in the [[Republic of Karelia]] along the coast of [[Lake Onega]] south of [[Petrozavodsk]]. It is also spoken in a few small villages in [[Leningrad Oblast]]. Villages speaking Northern Veps include [[Shyoltozero]], {{ill|Rybreka|ru|Рыбрека}}, and {{ill|Kvartsitny|ru|Кварцитный (Карелия)}}, as well as the city of Petrozavodsk itself.

Characteristics of Northern Veps are:
* Diphthongs are either preserved in their historical form ({{lang|vep|koume}}), or the first component is raised ({{lang|vep|jaug}} {{IPA|[jɑʊ̯g]}} > {{lang|vep|dʹoug}}).
* Combinations of vowel + ''l'' are usually preserved ({{lang|vep|talʹv}} {{IPA|[tɑlʲv]}}, {{lang|vep|velg}}, {{lang|vep|sild}}, {{lang|vep|silʹm}} {{IPA|[silʲm]}}, {{lang|vep|olda}}, {{lang|vep|sülʹg’}} {{IPA|[sylʲgʲ]}}, {{lang|vep|pölvaz}} {{IPA|[ˡpølvaz])}}, rarely vocalized to diphthongs: ''al'' > ''au'', ''el'', ''il'', ''ül'' {{IPA|[yl]}}, ''öl'' {{IPA|[øl]}} > ''üu'' {{IPA|[yw]}} and ''ol'' > ''uu'' {{IPA|[uː]}}.
* ''l'', ''n'', ''r'' are always palatalized before ''e'' in a non-initial syllable.
* Word-final consonants are not palatalized after ''i'', in for example the past indicative, the conditional and some case forms.
* Long close vowels are retained, with ''*üü'' {{IPA|[yː]}} often diphthongized to ''üu'' ({{lang|vep|*püü}} > {{lang|vep|püu}}, contrast Southern and Central Veps {{lang|vep|pü}}).
* ''j'' is [[Fortition|fortified]] to ''dʹ'' {{IPA|[dʲ]}} word-initially, and medially after consonants ({{lang|vep|jaug}} > {{lang|vep|dʹoug}} {{IPA|[dʲoʊ̯gː]}}, {{lang|vep|jogi}} > {{lang|vep|dʹogi}} {{IPA|[dʲogi]}}, {{lang|vep|järv}} > {{lang|vep|dʹärv}} {{IPA|[dʲærv]}}, {{lang|vep|agj}} > {{lang|vep|agdʹ}}).
* The last consonant of the stem is lengthened in the third-person singular present indicative ({{lang|vep|küzub}} > {{lang|vep|küzzub, tapab}} > {{lang|vep|tappab}}), and stem-final ''e'' becomes ''o'' ({{lang|vep|lugeb}} > {{lang|vep|luggob}}).
* Only traces of vowel harmony are retained.

===Central===
Central Veps dialects are rather distinct from each other compared to Northern and Southern Veps, which are relatively homogeneous. They are spoken around a long line stretching from [[Tervenichey]] in the [[Lodeinopolsky District]] of Leningrad Oblast to near [[Lake Beloye (Vologda Oblast)|Lake Beloye]]. The largest locality speaking Central Veps dialects is [[Vinnitsy]].

Characteristics of Central Veps are:
* Diphthongs are usually modified ({{lang|vep|sain}} > {{lang|vep|seinʹ, söi}} > {{lang|vep|süi}}).
* Combinations of vowel + ''l'' are vocalized to diphthongs in Kuya and Pondala ([[Belozersk]]), and usually preserved elsewhere ({{lang|vep|edel, silʹm, sülʹkta, völ}}).
* ''al'' and ''el'' are vocalized to ''ou'' or ''uu'' (''el'' may also become ''üu'') in the adessive and ablative case forms ({{lang|vep|talvel}} > {{lang|vep|touvuu/touvüu, mägelpäi}} > {{lang|vep|mäguupei}}).
* Word-final consonants are palatalized after ''i'' ({{lang|vep|mänid}} > {{lang|vep|mänidʹ, mänižin}} > {{lang|vep|mänižinʹ}}).
* In Kuya village, the vowel in the allative ending depends on the preceding stem vowel. After ''i'' the ending is {{lang|vep|-le}} ({{lang|vep|kanoile}}), after ''a'' it is {{lang|vep|-la}} ({{lang|vep|kalala}}) and after other vowels it is {{lang|vep|-lo}} ({{lang|vep|lebulo}}).
* ''j'' is preserved in most dialects, mostly in the west ({{lang|vep|jono, agj}}). ''j'' is fortified to ''dʹ'' in Kuya ({{lang|vep|dʹono, agdʹ}}). It is fortified to ''gʹ'' in Pondala, Voylahta, Nemzha, and Shimozero ({{lang|vep|gʹono, aggʹ}}).
* [[Final obstruent devoicing]] in Kuya Veps ({{lang|vep|sanub}} > {{lang|vep|sanup, vellesed}} > {{lang|vep|velleset}}).
* Unrounding of ''ü'' and ''ö'' in a few villages ({{lang|vep|pühä}} > {{lang|vep|pihä, pökoi}} > {{lang|vep|pekoi}}).
* ''ä'' > ''e'' in Shimozero<!-- also "ladvinskikh" dialects, whatever that is --> ({{lang|vep|päiv}} > {{lang|vep|pei(v)}}).
* Vowel harmony is weakly preserved, most prominently in the eastern and south-western areas.

===Southern===
Southern Veps is spoken in the [[Boksitogorsky District]] of Leningrad Oblast, including the villages of [[Radogoshcha]] and {{ill|Sidorovo, Boksitogorsky District|lt=Sidorovo|ru|Сидорово (Бокситогорский район)}}.

Characteristics of Southern Veps are:
* Diphthongs are monophthongized to long vowels, especially in non-initial syllables ({{lang|vep|pertišpäi}} > {{lang|vep|pertišpää, heboine}} > {{lang|vep|heboone}}<!-- [the source also gives this, but doesn't say what the original form is], {{lang|vep|rikoomaa}}-->).
* Combinations of vowel + ''l'' are usually preserved.
* ''al'' and ''el'' are vocalized to ''aa'' and ''oo'' in the adessive and ablative case forms ({{lang|vep|talʹvel}} > {{lang|vep|talʹvoo, kezal}} > {{lang|vep|kezaa}}).
* ''l'' and ''n'' are palatalized before ''e'' in non-initial syllables when followed by a case ending or person-and-number ending. ''r'' is not palatalized.
* Word-final consonants are palatalized after ''i'', in for example the past indicative, the conditional and some case forms.
* ''j'' is preserved ({{lang|vep|jogi}}, {{lang|vep|jüged}}).
* Unrounding of front rounded vowels, ''ü'' > ''i'' ({{lang|vep|pühä}} > {{lang|vep|pihä}}) and ''ö'' > ''e''.
* The ending {{lang|vep|-i}} of the third-person singular past indicative is usually dropped, leaving palatalization of the preceding consonant ({{lang|vep|pästi}} > {{lang|vep|pästʹ, väti}} > {{lang|vep|vätʹ, kolkati}} > {{lang|vep|kolkatʹ}}).
* Vowel harmony is preserved well ({{lang|vep|höblötädä, pörüdä, södä}}).