Pomak: An idiosyncratic East South Slavic language?

This paper is a brief attempt to highlight some innovative and conservative traits that set apart the Pomak dialect continuum from its close relatives (Bulgarian and Macedonian) within East South Slavic. At times such traits even bring Pomak closer to North Slavic languages, i.e. ones that do not belong to the East South Slavic group. Other traits are unique to Pomak in terms not only of Slavic languages but of Indo- European languages in general. The conclusion is that, in terms of a synchronic and typological approach, the Pomak dialect continuum should rather be viewed as a separate, non-standardised East South Slavic language rather than as a dialect of any other Slavic language.