Editing Macedonian language (section)

==Dialects==
{{Main|Dialects of Macedonian}}
{{See also|Slavic dialects of Greece|Bulgarian dialects|Torlakian dialects}}

During the standardization process of the Macedonian language, the dialectal base selected was primarily based on the West-Central dialects, which spans the triangle of the communities [[Makedonski Brod]], [[Kičevo]], [[Demir Hisar (town)|Demir Hisar]], [[Bitola]], [[Prilep]], and [[Veles, North Macedonia|Veles]]. These were considered the most widespread and most likely to be adopted by speakers from other regions.{{sfn|Friedman|1998|p=33}} The initial idea to select this region as a base was first proposed in Krste Petkov Misirkov's works as he believed the Macedonian language should abstract on those dialects that are distinct from neighboring Slavic languages, such as Bulgarian and Serbian.{{sfn|Dedaić|Mišković-Luković|2010|page=13}}
<div style="width:410px; float:right; border: 1px solid #a2a9b1; padding:5px;">Dialect divisions of Macedonian per Macedonian dialectology<ref name="Lindstedt 2016" /><ref>After Z. Topolińska and B. Vidoeski (1984), Polski-macedonski gramatyka konfrontatiwna, z.1, PAN.</ref>
[[File:Macedonian Slavic dialects.png|frameless|center|400x400px]]

'''Northern'''
{{legend|#71889F|Lower Polog / Tetovo}} {{legend|#A6A8AA|Crna Gora}} {{legend|#DADDDF|Kumanovo / Kratovo ([[Torlakian dialects]])}}

'''Western/Northwestern'''
{{legend|#FAf5E0|Central}} {{legend|#E0785E|Drimkol / Golo Brdo}} {{legend|#C58474|Reka}} {{legend|#E89580|Debar}} {{legend|#F8AD98|Small Reka / Galičnik}} {{legend|#EAB9AC|Upper Polog / Gostivar}} {{legend|#F8F594|Vevčani / Radοžda}} {{legend|#F5AA77|Upper Prespa / Ohrid}}

'''Eastern'''
{{legend|#AAC84F|Mariovo / Tikveš}} {{legend|#B7E62B|Štip / Strumica}} {{legend|#D9F486|Maleševo / Pirin}}

'''Southeastern'''
{{legend|#F8DA63|Solun / Voden}} {{legend|#D8CB64|Ser / Drama}}

'''Southwestern'''
{{legend|#C7814E|Lower Prespa}} {{legend|#AE9E62|Korča}} {{legend|#DBC985|Kostur}} {{legend|#EDED90|Nestram}}
</div>
Based on a large group of features, Macedonian dialects can be divided into Eastern, Western and Northern groups. The boundary between them geographically runs approximately from [[Skopje]] and [[Skopska Crna Gora]] along the rivers [[Vardar]] and [[Crna River (Vardar)|Crna]].{{sfn|Usikova|2005|page=103}} There are numerous [[isogloss]]es between these dialectal variations, with structural differences in phonetics, prosody (accentuation), morphology and syntax.{{sfn|Usikova|2005|page=103}} The Western group of dialects can be subdivided into smaller dialectal territories, the largest group of which includes the central dialects.{{sfn|Topolinjska|1998|p=7}} The linguistic territory where Macedonian dialects were spoken also span outside the country and within the [[Macedonia (region)|region of Macedonia]], including [[Pirin Macedonia]] into Bulgaria and [[Aegean Macedonia]] into Greece.{{sfn|Topolinjska|1998|p=6}}

Variations in consonant pronunciation occur between the two groups, with most Western regions losing the /x/ and the /v/ in intervocalic position ({{lang|mk|глава|italic=no}} (head): /ɡlava/  = /ɡla/: {{lang|mk|глави|italic=no}} (heads): /ɡlavi/ = /ɡlaj/) while Eastern dialects preserve it. Stress in the Western dialects is generally fixed and falls on the antepenultimate syllable while Eastern dialects have non-fixed stress systems that can fall on any syllable of the word,{{sfn|Usikova|2005|page=111}} that is also reminiscent of Bulgarian dialects. Additionally, Eastern dialects are distinguishable by their fast tonality, [[elision]] of sounds and the suffixes for definiteness. The Northern dialectal group is close to South Serbian and Torlakian dialects and is characterized by 46–47 phonetic and grammatical isoglosses.{{sfn|Usikova|2005|page=104}}

In addition, a more detailed classification can be based on the modern reflexes of the [[Proto-Slavic]] reduced vowels ([[yer]]s), vocalic sonorants, and the back nasal *ǫ. That classification distinguishes between the following 6 groups:{{sfn|Comrie|Corbett|2002|p=247}}

{{tree list}}
* '''Macedonian'''
** Western dialects
*** '''Ohrid-Prespa Group''': [[Ohrid dialect]], [[Struga dialect]], [[Vevčani-Radožda dialect]], [[Upper Prespa dialect]] and [[Lower Prespa dialect]].
*** '''Debar Group''': [[Debar dialect]], [[Reka dialect]], [[Drimkol-Golo Brdo dialect]], [[Galičnik dialect|Small Reka dialect]] (''Galičnik dialect''), [[Skopska Crna Gora dialect]] and [[Našinski|Gora dialect]]
*** '''Polog Group''': [[Gostivar dialect|Upper Polog dialect]] (''Gostivar dialect''), [[Tetovo dialect|Lower Polog dialect]] (''Tetovo dialect''), [[Prilep-Bitola dialect]], [[Kičevo-Poreče dialect]] and [[Skopje-Veles dialect]]
*** '''Kostur-Korča Group''': [[Korča dialect]], [[Kostur dialect]] and [[Nestram-Kostenar dialect]]
** Eastern dialects
*** '''Northern Group''': [[Kumanovo dialect]], [[Kratovo dialect]], [[Kriva Palanka dialect]] and [[Ovče Pole dialect]]
*** '''Eastern Group''': [[Štip - Kočani dialect]], [[Strumica dialect]], [[Tikveš-Mariovo dialect]], [[Maleševo-Pirin dialect]], [[Solun-Voden dialect]] and [[Ser-Drama-Lagadin-Nevrokop dialect]].
{{tree list/end}}