LTĮ dialektologu akiratį kaip atskiras tyrimo objektas Alytaus rajono šnektos lig šiol nebuvo patekusios. Šiame straipsnyje jos yra aprašomos remiantis XX a. antrosios pusės ir XXI a. 2-ojo dešimtmečio empiriniais duomenimis. Atskleidžiama, ar (kaip) Alytaus rajono šnektas identifikuoja ir diferencijuoja dialektologai ir patys rajono vietiniai gyventojai. Aptariama kai kurių fonetinių ypatybių kaita, išskiriami kalbiniai variantai. Nurodomos ir kai kurios tiriamųjų šnektų kaitos priežastys. Raktažodžiai: pietų aukštaičiai, vakarų aukštaičiai kauniškiai, šnekta, kalbiniai variantai, kaita.
ENDuring the last decade, having collected new empiric material and with the occurrence of new methods and methodologies of dialectology science, the idea has been raised about the change of traditional dialects of the Lithuanian language and formation of new dialectical derivatives. Due to this reason, it is important to discuss subdialects of Alytus region and determine the trends of their development. The performed research was based on the empirical material accumulated in 1950s-1960s and 2010s. This research firstly revealed that in terms of dialect, Alytus region is integral: a part of Nemajūnai (610) point, as well as Butrimonys (611), Ūdrija (627) and Kriauniai (628) belong to Western Aukštaitians of Kaunas region, while another part of Nemajūnai (610) point, Žagariai (629), Pivašiūnai (630), Simnas (642), Miroslavas (643), Alytus (644), Alovė (645), Daugai (646), Nemunaitis (659) and Savilionys (675) belong to Southern Aukštaitians. Some differences between subdialects are noticed even by the residents of the region. Although the signs of dialect changes, especially in Southern Aukštaitian, were already noticed in the second half of the 20th century, the use of dialectal phonetic peculiarities started to change more rapidly at the beginning of the 21st century. In the subdialects of Southern Aukštaitian, the first thing to disappear is their typical characteristic (the vowels ą, ę are more rarely narrowed), as well as the most distinctive feature - peculiarities of the Dzūkian pronunciation - is used much less often.The changes in dialects of Alytus region are determined by several factors: strong influence of Alytus city as an economic, social and cultural centre of attraction on the periphery, high level of internal migration, strengthening of the standard language, reforms of Health Care and Education institutions, emigration and worsening of the demographic situation. Nowadays, several language variants are used in Alytus region: traditional dialect, dialectic language and non-dialectic (or standard) language. Therefore, we can assume that the points which are ascribed to different subdialects - Western Aukštaitian of Kaunas and Southern Aukštaitian - will become even closer.