Parallel causative constructions in the Russian dialect of Old Believers in Poland and Belarusian language and its dialects

Abstract

As a result of the territorial proximity of the Old Believers' homeland with the compact Belarusian language territory, as well as the exposure to Belarusian language and its dialects, the 'Polish' Old Believers dialect bears many features characteristic for them. The main aim of this paper is to present parallel causative constructions which are being used in both the local dialect of Old Believers in Poland, and the Belarusian language or its dialects. The 'Polish' Old Believers' narratives we investigated contain many examples of use of the causative constructions typical for their indigenous dialects, as well as those typical for the Belarusian language and its dialects. Some of them are also typically encountered in the Polish language, and they can be considered a result of Polish influence on the Russian dialect of Old Believers' in Poland.