Italian language: Difference between revisions
imported>Hugo Voisard (added basic information as an introduction :-)) |
imported>Hayford Peirce (my Merriam-Websters says that Romance language uses a capital R) |
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'''Italian''' (italiano) is a [[ | '''Italian''' (italiano) is a [[Romance language]] spoken by 66,000,000 persons. Italian-speakers are mostly found in [[Italy]], [[Switzerland]] (official language; spoken by 6.5% of the population), [[France]], [[Argentina]], [[Canada]] and [[United States]]. | ||
==Sounds== | ==Sounds== | ||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
[[Triphthongs]] always contain at least one [[semivowel]]: ''noia'' and ''febbraio'' have the sequence vowel-semivowel-vowel. In ''miei'' the first ''i'' is a semivocalic 'y' sound, {{IPA|[j]}}; in ''tuoi'', the ''u'' functions as a {{IPA|[w]}}; and the final ''i'' of such words can become semivocalic before a following vowel in the next word. The ''i'' is a semivowel also in the first person plural of some verbs: ''continuiamo, dissanguiamo''. And in the four-vowel sequence of ''aiuola'' ('flowerbed') the {{IPA|[j]}} is pushing out the "u" semivowel, {{IPA|[w]}}, so nowadays ''aiola'' is the usual spelling. A similar process appears in words like ''mariuolo'' ('rascal') and ''legnaiuolo'' ('woodcutter'): almost everybody uses them (if at all) in the form ''mariolo'', ''legnaiolo'' etc. | [[Triphthongs]] always contain at least one [[semivowel]]: ''noia'' and ''febbraio'' have the sequence vowel-semivowel-vowel. In ''miei'' the first ''i'' is a semivocalic 'y' sound, {{IPA|[j]}}; in ''tuoi'', the ''u'' functions as a {{IPA|[w]}}; and the final ''i'' of such words can become semivocalic before a following vowel in the next word. The ''i'' is a semivowel also in the first person plural of some verbs: ''continuiamo, dissanguiamo''. And in the four-vowel sequence of ''aiuola'' ('flowerbed') the {{IPA|[j]}} is pushing out the "u" semivowel, {{IPA|[w]}}, so nowadays ''aiola'' is the usual spelling. A similar process appears in words like ''mariuolo'' ('rascal') and ''legnaiuolo'' ('woodcutter'): almost everybody uses them (if at all) in the form ''mariolo'', ''legnaiolo'' etc. | ||
Revision as of 16:36, 5 January 2008
Italian (italiano) is a Romance language spoken by 66,000,000 persons. Italian-speakers are mostly found in Italy, Switzerland (official language; spoken by 6.5% of the population), France, Argentina, Canada and United States.
Sounds
Vowels
Triphthongs always contain at least one semivowel: noia and febbraio have the sequence vowel-semivowel-vowel. In miei the first i is a semivocalic 'y' sound, [j]; in tuoi, the u functions as a [w]; and the final i of such words can become semivocalic before a following vowel in the next word. The i is a semivowel also in the first person plural of some verbs: continuiamo, dissanguiamo. And in the four-vowel sequence of aiuola ('flowerbed') the [j] is pushing out the "u" semivowel, [w], so nowadays aiola is the usual spelling. A similar process appears in words like mariuolo ('rascal') and legnaiuolo ('woodcutter'): almost everybody uses them (if at all) in the form mariolo, legnaiolo etc.