The Kostur dialect (, Kosturski dijalekt), is a member of the Southwestern subgroup of the Southeastern group of dialects of the Macedonian language. This dialect is mainly spoken in and around the town of Kastoria, known locally in Macedonian as Kostur, and in the surrounding Korešta region, () which encompasses most of the area to the northwest of the town. The Kostur dialect is also partially spoken in Albania, most notably in Bilisht and the village of Vërnik (Vrabnik). The dialect is partially preserved among the ″people of Bulgarian origin in Mustafapaşa and Cemilköy, Turkey, descending from the village of Agios Antonios (Zhèrveni) in Kostur region (Aegean Macedonia)″. The Kostur dialect shares strong similarities with the Nestram-Kostenar dialect and the Korča dialect. Bulgarian linguist Stoyko Stoykov regarded the Nestram dialect as a subgroup of the Kostur dialect, part of Bulgarian dialects. Other Bulgarian linguists also regard the dialect as a Bulgarian dialect. Phonological characteristics PSl. *ǫ → (and ) and , but also isolated instances of , , , and ; PSl. *sǫtь > , PSl. *krǫgъ > , PSl. *gǫba > , PSl. *pǫtь > ~ ~ , PSl. *mǫka > , *kǫtja > . PSl. *ę → (and ) and ; PSl. *govędo > , PSl. *zvękъ > , PSl. *(j)erębica > . PSl. *ě → ; PSl. *mlěko (← *melko) > . PSl. *ъ and *ь → and , respectively; PSl. *sladъkъ (← *soldъkъ) > , PSl. *dьnь > . PSl. *tj (and *kt) and *dj → and (or, less commonly, ), respectively, but also isolated instances of and ; PSl. *světja > , PSl. *medja > ~ , PSl. *dъkti > . In some subdialects, the distinction between PSl. *i and *y is preserved (i.e. they have not merged to *i as in other Macedonian dialects). Fixed stress. The stress is on the penult, although there are exceptions. It is valid when not taken into account the definite morphemes. Morphological characteristics Third-person personal pronouns: masc. , fem. , neut. , pl. ('he, she, it, they'). Usage The dialect is commonly viewed as one of the most divergent forms of the Macedonian dialect continuum. Today it is primarily restricted to oral communication among native speakers; however, in the past the dialect was frequently used in its written form. As late as the Greek Civil War the dialect was being used in newspapers and other print. The Nova