Post-stressed vowel lengthening in Latvian dialects as the result of the Livonian (?) influence ANNA DAUGAVET (SAINT PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY) “Finnic languages, cultures, and genius loci” Conference on Finnic minority languages and cultures University of Tartu, March 7–8, 2013 1. General statements The talk is about the local variety of Latvian spoken in Aizpute. It belongs to the Central dialect which is also the base of Standard Latvian, so that there is not so much difference between Aizpute Latvian and the standard language. Some of the peculiarities of the Aizpute variety were described by Kārlis Līniņš in 1922 (1928). The main subject is the lengthening of vowels (and consonants) taking place under primary and secondary stress. What I intend to show is that the lengthening pattern clearly resembles the one found in Finnic languages, namely, foot isochrony. It may seem puzzling that this pattern is detected in a location that lies outside of the so-called “Livoniazed” dialect, which is known as the main recipient of the Livonian influence among the Latvian dialects. But the whole of Latvian is believed to have experienced the Livonian influence to some extent, so that there is nothing unusual in finding a Finnic feature in Central Latvian. Map of Latvian dialects with Aizpute It is important that Līniņš pays the lengthening patterns unprecedented attention, unrivalled by any other works on either Standard Latvian or dialects. As a result, it is not really possible to compare the Aizpute facts to those of other Latvian varieties. 2. Some idiosyncratic features of Līniņš 1922 (1928) Līniņš did not conduct any experimental research. The information about the lengthening of vowels and consonants comes from his impressionistic observations, as a native speaker’s. He did not use any transcription system, either. All the facts about the duration of vowels and consonants are supplied in words. See the fragment from Līniņš (1928: 57). Pagarina sekoj. vārdu 2. zilbi: zaram, cirim, abrai, bedrei, meࡣdam, viņam, tavam, mazam, dižai, zinam, reࡣdzam, vajag (arī: vaîg), nedzen, neࡣࡣdeࡣࡣg, pajem. <...> Sekoj. vārdu 2. zilbe paliek nepagarināta: kal̃pam, puĩsim, laîpai, rôdzei, nãkam, ârsim, jâšuj, âzej, ûzber, diẽzgan. They lengthen the second syllable of the following words: cirim, abrai, bedrei, me̦dam, viņam, tavam, mazam, dižai, zinam, re̦dzam, vajag (also: vaîg), nedzen, ne̦̦de̦̦g, pajem. <...> In the following words the second syllable remains short: kal̃pam, puĩsim, laîpai, rôdzei, nãkam, ârsim, jâšuj, âzej, ûzber, diẽzgan. (Translation and italic is mine — A.D.)