Hutsul dialect (Ukrainian: Гуцульський говір) or Eastern Carpathian dialect (Східнокарпатський говір) is a variety of the Ukrainian language spoken by Hutsuls, a subethnic group living in Western Ukraine. It belongs to the Galician–Bukovinian group of Southwestern Ukrainian dialects.
In Ukraine Hutsul dialect is spoken in eastern parts of Zakarpattia Oblast (Rakhiv Raion, western parts of Chernivtsi Oblast (Vyzhnytsia Raion) and southwestern parts of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (Verkhovyna, Kosiv, Nadvirna and Kolomyia raions). Outside of Ukraine, the Hutsul dialect is spoken in northern parts of Maramures and Suceava County in Romania.
In the west the area of Hutsul dialect borders Transcarpathian dialect, in the north – Boyko and Dniester dialects, in the east – Pokuttia–Bukovina dialect.
Some linguists consider varieties spoken in the areas of Sniatyn and Deliatyn along the Prut river to be a separate Upper Prutian dialect, transitional between Hutsul and Dniester dialects.
.jpg)
Elements of Hutsul dialect are present in works of several Ukrainian writers including Hnat Khotkevych, Marko Cheremshyna and Vasyl Stefanyk.