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{{Infobox Language
|name=Italian
|nativename=Italiano
|pronunciation=/ita'ljaːno/
|region=[[Italy]], [[San Marino]], [[Vatican City]], [[Slovenia]], [[Switzerland]], [[Croatia]].
Used by a significant part of population in: [[Principality of Monaco|Monaco]], [[France]] ([[Corsica]], [[Savoie]] and [[County of Nice|Nice]]), [[Croatia]] ([[Istria]]), [[Malta]], [[Albania]], [[Eritrea]] and [[Somalia]].
There are significant immigrant communities throughout the [[Americas]] (primarily [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]], [[Uruguay]], [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Venezuela]]), [[Australia]], and [[Western Europe]] (primarily in [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Luxembourg]], and the [[Britalian|United Kingdom]]).
|speakers= 62 million<ref name=Encarta>{{cite web |url=http://encarta.msn.com/media_701500404/Languages_Spoken_by_More_Than_10_Million_People.html |title=Languages Spoken by More Than 10 Million People |accessdate=2007-02-18 |publisher=Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006}}</ref>
|rank=19
|familycolor=Indo-European
|fam2=[[Italic languages|Italic]]
|fam3=[[Romance languages|Romance]]
|fam4=[[Italo-Western languages|Italo-Western]]
|fam5=Italo-Dalmatian
|nation={{EUR}}<br>{{ITA}}<br>{{CHE}}<br>{{SMR}}<br>{{flagicon|Vatican City}} [[Vatican City]]<br>[[Image:Flag of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.svg|22px]] [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]]<br>{{CRO}} ([[Istria county|Istria]])<br>{{SVN}}<br> ([[Pirano]], [[Izola|Isola d'Istria]] and [[Capodistria]])<br> |agency=[[Accademia della Crusca]]
|iso1=it|iso2=ita|iso3=ita
|lc1=ita|ld1=Italian (generic)|ll1=none
|map=}}
'''Italian''' (''lingua italiana'') is a [[Romance languages|Romance language]] spoken by about 63 million people,<ref>Ethnologue. SIL International. Tue 21 Oct 1997. As collected at: http://www.nicemice.net/amc/tmp/lang-pop.var</ref> primarily in [[Italy]]. In [[Switzerland]], Italian is one of four [[Linguistic geography of Switzerland|official language]]s. It is also the official language of [[San Marino]] and [[Vatican City]]. Standard Italian, adopted by the state after the [[unification of Italy]], is based on [[Tuscan dialect]] and is somewhat intermediate between [[Italo-Western|Italo-Dalmatian languages]] of the [[Mezzogiorno|South]] and [[Northern Italian dialects]] of the [[Northern Italy|North]].
Unlike most other Romance languages, Italian has retained the contrast between short and [[consonant length|long consonants]] that existed in Latin. As in most [[Romance languages]], [[stress (linguistics)|stress]] is distinctive. Of the Romance languages, Italian is considered to be one of the closest resembling [[Latin]] in terms of [[vocabulary]],<ref>{{cite book |last= Grimes |first= Barbara F. |editor= Barbara F. Grimes |others= Consulting Editors: Richard S. Pittman & Joseph E. Grimes |title= Ethnologue: Languages of the World |edition= thirteenth edition |year= 1996 |month= October |publisher= [[Ethnologue|Summer Institute of Linguistics, Academic Pub]] |location= Dallas, Texas |isbn= 1-55671-026-7}}</ref> though [[Romanian language|Romanian]] most closely preserves the [[noun]] [[declension]] system of [[Classical Latin]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] the [[verb]] [[conjugation]] system (see [[Old Latin#Verbs|Old Latin]]), while [[Sardinian language|Sardinian]] is the most conservative in terms of [[phonology]].
It is affectionately called ''il parlar gentile'' (the gentle language) by its speakers.
==History==
The history of the Italian language is long, but the modern standard of the language was largely shaped by relatively recent events. The earliest surviving texts which can definitely be called Italian (or more accurately, vernacular, as opposed to its predecessor [[Vulgar Latin]]) are legal formulae from the region of [[province of Benevento|Benevento]] dating from 960-963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.italian-language.biz/italian/history.asp|title=History of the Italian language.||accessdate=2006-09-24}}</ref>  What would come to be thought of as Italian was first formalized in the first years of the 14th century through the works of [[Dante Alighieri]], who mixed southern Italian languages, especially [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]], with his native Tuscan in his epic poems known collectively as the ''[[Divine Comedy|Commedia]],'' to which [[Giovanni Boccaccio]] later affixed the title ''Divina''.  Dante's much-loved works were read throughout Italy and his written dialect became the "canonical standard" that others could all understand. Dante is still credited with standardizing the Italian language and, thus, the dialect of [[Tuscany]] became the basis for what would become the official language of Italy.
Italy has always had a distinctive dialect for each city, since the cities were until recently thought of as [[city-state]]s. As Italian came to be used throughout the nation, features of local speech were naturally adopted, producing various versions of Regional Italian. The most characteristic differences, for instance, between [[Romanesco|Roman Italian]] and [[Milanese|Milanese Italian]] are the [[consonant length|gemination]] of initial consonants and the pronunciation of stressed "e", and of "s" in some cases (e.g. ''va bene'' "all right": is pronounced {{IPA|[va bˈbɛne]}} by a Roman, {{IPA|[va ˈbene]}} by a Milanese; ''a casa'' "at home": Roman {{IPA|[a kˈkasa]}}, Milanese {{IPA|[a ˈkaza]}}).
In contrast to the [[Northern Italian language|dialects of northern Italy]], [[southern Italian]] dialects were largely untouched by the Franco-[[Occitan language|Occitan]] influences introduced to Italy, mainly by [[bard]]s from [[France]], during the [[Middle Ages]]. Even in the case of Northern Italian dialects, however, scholars are careful not to overstate the effects of outsiders on the natural indigenous developments of the languages. (See [[La Spezia-Rimini Line]].)
The economic might and relative advanced development of [[Tuscany]] at the time ([[Late Middle Ages]]), gave its dialect weight, though Venetian remained widespread in medieval Italian commercial life. Also, the increasing cultural relevance of [[Florence, Italy|Florence]] during the periods of '[[Humanism|Umanesimo (Humanism)]]' and the [[Renaissance|Rinascimento (Renaissance)]]  made its ''volgare'' (dialect), or rather a refined version of it, a standard in the arts.
The re-discovery of Dante's ''[[De vulgari eloquentia]]'' and a renewed interest in linguistics in the 16th century sparked a debate which raged throughout Italy concerning which criteria should be chosen to establish a modern Italian standard to be used as much as a literary as a spoken language. Scholars were divided into three factions: the [[purism|purists]], headed by [[Pietro Bembo]] who in his ''[[Gli Asolani]]'' claimed that the language might only be based on the great literary classics (notably, [[Petrarch]], and Boccaccio but not Dante as Bembo believed that the Divine Comedy was not dignified enough as it used elements from other dialects), [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] and other [[Florence|Florentine]]s who preferred the version spoken by ordinary people in their own times, and the [[Courtesan]]s like [[Baldassarre Castiglione]] and [[Gian Giorgio Trissino]] who insisted that each local vernacular must contribute to the new standard. Eventually Bembo's ideas prevailed, the result being the publication of the first Italian dictionary in 1612 and the foundation of the [[Accademia della Crusca]].
Italian literature's first modern novel, [[The Betrothed|''I Promessi Sposi'']] (The Betrothed), by [[Alessandro Manzoni]] further defined the standard by "rinsing" his Milanese 'in the waters of the [[Arno River|Arno]]" ([[Florence]]'s river), as he states in the Preface to his 1840 edition.
After unification a huge number of civil servants and soldiers recruited from all over the country introduced many more words and idioms from their home dialects ("[[ciao]]" is [[Venetian language|Venetian]], "[[panettone]]" is [[Milanese]] etc.).
==Classification==
Italian is most closely related to the other two Italo-Dalmatian languages, [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]] and the extinct [[Dalmatian language|Dalmatian]]. The three are part of the [[Italo-Western languages|Italo-Western]] grouping of the [[Romance languages]], which are a subgroup of the [[Italic languages|Italic]] branch of [[Indo-European language family|Indo-European]].
==Geographic distribution==
[[Image:ItalophoneEuropeMap.png|thumb|350px|The geographic distribution of the Italian language in Europe.]]
Italian is the official language of [[Italy]] and [[San Marino]], and one of the official languages of [[Switzerland]], spoken mainly in [[Canton Ticino|Ticino]] and [[Graubünden|Grigioni]] cantons, a region referred to as [[Italian Switzerland]]. It is also the second official language in the [[Vatican City]] and in some areas of [[Istria]] in [[Slovenia]] and [[Croatia]] with an Italian minority. It is widely used and taught in [[Monaco]] and  [[Malta]].<ref>It served as Malta's official language until [[Maltese language]] was enshrined in the 1934  Constitution.</ref> It is also widely understood in [[Corsica]], [[Savoy]] and [[County of Nice|Nice]] (areas that historically spoke [[Italian dialects]] before annexation to [[France]]), and [[Albania]].
Italian is spoken by some in former Italian colonies in [[Africa]] ([[Libya]], [[Somalia]] and [[Eritrea]]). However, its use has sharply dropped off since the colonial period. While Italian was the language of instruction in Eritrea during the colonial period, [[as of 1997]], there is only one Italian language school remaining, with 470 pupils.<ref>Tekle M. Woldemikael, "Language, Education, and Public Policy in Eritrea," in African Studies Review, Vol. 46, No. 1. (Apr., 2003), pp. 117-136. </ref>
Italian and [[Italian dialects]] are widely used by Italian immigrants and their descendants living throughout [[Western Europe]] (especially [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]], the [[Britalian|United Kingdom]] and [[Belgium]]), the [[Italian Americans|United States]], [[Italian Canadians|Canada]], [[Italian Australians|Australia]], and [[Latin America]] (especially [[Uruguay]], [[Italian Brazilians|Brazil]], [[Argentina]], and [[Venezuela]]).
In the United States, Italian speakers are most commonly found in four cities: [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] (7,000), [[Chicago]] (12,000), [[New York City]] (140,000), and [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] (15,000).[http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=25&place_id=7000&cty_id=][http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=17&place_id=14000&cty_id=][http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=36&place_id=51000&cty_id=][http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=42&place_id=60000&cty_id=] In Canada there are large Italian-speaking communities in [[Montreal]] (120,000) and [[Toronto]] (195,000). Italian is the second most commonly-spoken language in Australia, where 353,605 [[Italian Australian]]s, or 1.9% of the population, reported speaking Italian at home in the 2001 [[Census in Australia|Census]].<ref>[http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310116.NSF/85255e31005a1918852556c2005508d8/c47ad86d67c1466bca256ce0007e8d6b/$FILE/ATTH23CO/Exstatic%202%202005,%20Australia.xls Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, "Language other than English" (spreadsheet of figures from 2001 Census)] </ref> In 2001 there were 130,000 Italian speakers in [[Melbourne]],<ref>[http://www8.abs.gov.au/censusoutput/abs@CPP.nsf/Lookup/205Snapshot12001?OpenDocument&TabName=Summary&ProdNo=205&Issue=2001&Num=&View=& Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002, "A Snapshot of Melbourne"]</ref> and 90,000 in [[Sydney]].<ref>[http://www8.abs.gov.au/censusoutput/abs@CPP.nsf/Lookup/105Snapshot12001#Ancestry Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002, "A Snapshot of Sydney"] </ref>
===Italian Language Education===
Italian is widely taught in many schools around the world, but rarely as the first non-native language of pupils. In [[anglophone]] parts of [[Canada]], Italian is, after [[French language|French]], the third most taught language. In the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]], Italian ranks fourth (after [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-French-[[German language|German]] and French-German-Spanish respectively). Throughout the world, Italian is the fifth most taught non-native language, after [[English language|English]], Spanish, French, and German.<ref>[http://www.iic-colonia.de/italiano-2000/Indice.htm www.iic-colonia.de]</ref>
In the [[European Union]], Italian is spoken as a mother tongue by 13% of the population (mainly in Italy itself) and as a second language by 3%; among EU member states, it is most likely to be desired (and therefore learned) as a second language in [[Malta]] (61%), [[Croatia]] (14%), [[Slovenia]] (12%), [[Austria]] (11%), [[Romania]] (8%), [[France]] (6%), and [[Greece]] (6%).<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf Eurobarometer – Europeans and their languages]|485&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 497367 bytes -->}}, February 2006</ref> It is also an important second language in [[Albania]] and [[Switzerland]], which are not EU members or candidates.
===Influence and Derived languages===
From the late 19th to the mid 20th century, thousands of Italians settled in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, where they formed a very strong physical and cultural presence (see the [[Italian diaspora]]).
In some cases, colonies were established where variants of [[Italian dialects]] were used, and some continue to use a derived dialect. An example is [[Rio Grande do Sul]], [[Brazil]], where [[Talian]] is used and in the town of [[Chipilo]] near Puebla, [[Mexico]] each continuing to use a derived form of [[Venetian language|Venetian]] dating back to the 19th century. Another example is [[Cocoliche]], an Italian-Spanish [[pidgin]] once spoken in [[Argentina]] and especially in [[Buenos Aires]], and [[Lunfardo]].
[[Rioplatense Spanish]], and particularly the speech of the city of Buenos Aires, has intonation patterns that resemble those of Italian dialects,<ref>[http://www.unidadenladiversidad.com/actualidad/actualidad_ant/2004/mayo_2004/actualidad_050504_01.htm Unidad en la diversidad – Portal informativo sobre la lengua castellana]</ref> due to the fact that Argentina had a constant, large influx of Italian settlers since the second half of the nineteenth century; initially primarily from Northern Italy then, since the beginning of the twentieth century, mostly from Southern Italy.
===As Lingua Franca===
{{see also|Mediterranean Lingua Franca}}
Starting in late [[medieval]] times, Italian language variants replaced Latin to become the primary commercial language for much of Europe (especially the Tuscan and Venetian variants). This became solidified during the [[Renaissance]] with the strength of Italian banking and the rise of [[Renaissance humanism|humanism]] in the arts.
During the period of the Renaissance, Italy held artistic sway over the rest of Europe. All educated European gentlemen were expected to make the [[Grand Tour]], visiting Italy to see its great historical monuments and works of art. It thus became expected that educated Europeans would learn at least some Italian; the English poet [[John Milton]], for instance, wrote some of his early poetry in Italian. In England,  Italian became the second most common modern language to be learned, after [[French language|French]] (though the classical languages, [[Latin]] and [[Greek language|Greek]], came first). However, by the late eighteenth century, Italian tended to be replaced by [[German language|German]] as the second modern language on the curriculum. Yet Italian [[loanword]]s continue to be used in most other [[European languages]] in matters of art and music.
Today, the Italian language continues to be used as a [[lingua franca]] in some environments. Within the [[Catholic]] ecclesiastic hierarchy, Italian is known by a large part of members and is used in substitution of [[Latin]] in some official documents as well. The presence of Italian as the second official language in the [[Vatican City]] indicates not only use in the seat in Rome, but also in the whole world where an episcopal seat is present.
Other environments in which Italian is considered a "lingua franca" are [[List of musical terminology|music]] and [[auto racing]].
==Italian dialects==
{{main|Italian dialects}}
In Italy, all [[Romance languages]] spoken as the vernacular in Italy, other than standard Italian and other unrelated, non-Italian languages, are termed "Italian dialects". Many Italian dialects are, in fact, historical languages in their own right<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_language.asp?code=ITN Ethnologue web reference for Italian]</ref>. These include recognized language groups such as [[Friulian language|Friulian]], [[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]], [[Sardinian language|Sardinian]], [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]], [[Venetian language|Venetian]],  and others, and regional variants of these languages such as [[Calabrian_languages|Calabrian]]. Though the division between dialect and language has been used by scholars (such as by [[Francesco Bruni]]) to distinguish between the languages that made up the Italian [[koine]], and those which had very little or no part in it, such as [[Albanian language|Albanian]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[German language|German]], [[Ladin language|Ladin]], and [[Occitan language|Occitan]], which are still spoken by minorities. 
Dialects are generally not used for general mass communication and are usually limited to native speakers in informal contexts. In the past, speaking in dialect was often deprecated as a sign of poor education. Younger generations, especially those under 35 (though it may vary in different areas), speak almost exclusively standard Italian in all situations, usually with local accents and idioms. Regional differences can be recognized by various factors: the openness of vowels, the length of the consonants, and influence of the local dialect (for example, ''annà'' replaces ''andare'' in the area of Rome for the infinitive "to go").
==Sounds==
==Sounds==
<!-- Description of the sound set of the language can include phoneme charts and example words for each phoneme like in [[French language]]. If there is significant discussion here, it is probably best to divide the section into vowels and consonants subsections. -->
===Vowels===
===Vowels===
Italian has seven [[vowel]] phonemes: {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/ɛ/}}, {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/o/}}, {{IPA|/ɔ/}}, {{IPA|/u/}}.  The pairs {{IPA|/e/}}-{{IPA|/ɛ/}} and {{IPA|/o/}}-{{IPA|/ɔ/}} are seldom distinguished in writing and often confused, even though most varieties of Italian employ both phonemes consistently. Compare, for example: "perché" {{IPA|[perˈkɛ]}} (why, because) and "senti" {{IPA|[ˈsenti]}} (you listen, you are listening, listen!), employed by some northern speakers, with {{IPA|[perˈke]}} and {{IPA|[ˈsɛnti]}}, as pronounced by most central and southern speakers. As a result, the usage is strongly indicative of a person's origin. The standard (Tuscan) usage of these vowels is listed in vocabularies, and employed outside Tuscany mainly by specialists, especially actors and very few (television) journalists.
These are truly different [[phonemes]], however: compare {{IPA|/ˈpeska/}} (fishing) and {{IPA|/ˈpɛska/}} (peach), both spelled ''pesca''. Similarly {{IPA|/ˈbotte/}} ('barrel') and {{IPA|/ˈbɔtte/}} ('beatings'), both spelled ''botte'', discriminate {{IPA|/o/}} and {{IPA|/ɔ/}}.
In general, vowel combinations usually pronounce each vowel separately.  [[Diphthong]]s exist (e.g. ''uo'', ''iu'', ''ie'', ''ai''), but are limited to an unstressed ''u'' or ''i'' before or after a stressed vowel.
The unstressed ''u'' in a diphthong approximates the English semivowel ''w'', the unstressed ''i'' approximates the semivowel ''y''.  E.g.: ''buono'' {{IPA|[ˈbwɔno]}}, ''ieri'' {{IPA|[ˈjɛri]}}.
[[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.
===Mobile diphthongs===
Many Latin words with a short stressed ''e'' or ''o'' have Italian counterparts with a [[mobile diphthong]] (''ie'' and ''uo'' respectively). When the vowel sound is stressed, it is pronounced and written as a diphthong; when not stressed, it is pronounced and written as a single vowel.
So Latin ''focus'' gave rise to Italian ''fuoco'' (meaning both "fire" and "optical focus"): when unstressed, as in ''focale'' ("focal") the "o" remains alone. Latin ''pes'' (more precisely its accusative form ''pedem'') is the source of Italian ''piede'' (foot): but unstressed "e" was left unchanged in ''pedone'' (pedestrian) and ''pedale'' (pedal). From Latin ''iocus'' comes Italian ''giuoco'' ("play", "game"), though in this case ''gioco'' is more common: ''giocare'' means "to play". From Latin ''homo'' comes Italian ''uomo'' (man), but also ''umano'' (human) and ''ominide'' (hominid). From Latin ''ovum'' comes Italian ''uovo'' (egg) and ''ovaie'' (ovaries). (The same phenomenon occurs in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''juego'' (play, game) and ''jugar'' (to play), ''nieve'' (snow) and ''nevar'' (to snow)).
===Consonants===
Two symbols in a table cell denote the voiceless and voiced consonant, respectively.
{| class="wikitable"
!
![[bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
![[labiodental consonant|Labiodental]]
![[dental consonant|Dental]]
![[alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]
![[palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
![[plosive consonant|Plosive]]
| align="center"|{{IPA|p}}, {{IPA|b}}
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|t̪}}, {{IPA|d̪}}
|
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|k}}, {{IPA|g}}
|-
![[nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| align="center"|{{IPA|m}}
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|n̪}}
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|ɲ}}
|
|-
![[trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|r}}
|
|
|
|-
![[flap consonant|Flap]]
|
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|ɾ}}
|
|
|
|-
![[fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|f}}, {{IPA|v}}
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|s}}, {{IPA|z}}
| align="center"|{{IPA|ʃ}}
|
|
|-
![[affricate consonant|Affricate]]
|
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|ʦ}}, {{IPA|ʣ}}
| align="center"|{{IPA|ʧ}}, {{IPA|ʤ}}
|
|
|-
![[lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
|
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|l}}
|
| align="center"|{{IPA|ʎ}}
|
|}
The phoneme {{IPA|/n/}} undergoes assimilation when followed by a consonant, e.g., when followed by a velar ({{IPA|/k/}} or {{IPA|/g/}}) it is pronounced {{IPA|[ŋ]}}, etc.
Italian plosives are not [[aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] (unlike in English).  Italian speakers hear the difference as a foreign accent.
Italian has geminate, or double, consonants, which are distinguished by [[Consonant length|length]]. Length is distinctive for all consonants except for {{IPA|/ʃ/}}, {{IPA|/ʦ/}}, {{IPA|/ʣ/}}, {{IPA|/ʎ/}} {{IPA|/ɲ/}}, which are always geminate, and {{IPA|/z/}} which is always single.
Geminate plosives and affricates are realised as lengthened closures. Geminate fricatives, nasals, and {{IPA|/l/}} are realized as lengthened [[continuant]]s. Geminate {{IPA|/ɾː/}} is realised as the trill {{IPA|[r]}}.
Of special interest to the linguistic study of Italian is the ''[[Tuscan gorgia|Gorgia Toscana]]'', or "Tuscan Throat", the weakening or [[lenition]] of certain [[:wiktionary:intervocalic|intervocalic]] consonants in [[Tuscan dialect]]s. See also [[Syntactic doubling]].
===Assimilation===
Italian has few diphthongs, and so most unfamiliar diphthongs heard in foreign words (in particular, those with a first vowel that is not "i" or "u", or a first vowel that is stressed), will be assimilated as the corresponding [[diaeresis]] (i.e., the vowel sounds will be pronounced separately).  Italian [[phonotactics]] do not usually permit nouns and verbs to end with consonants, excepting poetry and song, so foreign words may receive extra terminal vowel sounds.
<!--
===Historical sound changes===
Description of important sound changes in the history of the language. (Maybe this should go under history?)
-->
==Grammar==
{{main|Italian grammar}}
<!--
==Vocabulary==
This section should contain a discussion of any special features of the vocabulary (or lexicon) of the language, like if it contains a large number of borrowed words or a different sets of words for different politeness levels, taboo groups, etc.
-->
==Writing system==
[[Image:Jon Hawk.jpg|right|thumb|280px|Example of Italian]]
{{main|Italian alphabet}}
<blockquote>
    <math>\mathfrak{N}</math>el mezzo del cammin di nostra vita<br />
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,<br />
che la diritta via era smarrita.<br />
    Ahi quanto a dir qual era è cosa dura<br />
esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte<br />
che nel pensier rinova la paura!<br />
    Tant'è amara che poco è più morte;<br />
ma per trattar del ben ch'i' vi trovai,<br />
dirò de l'altre cose ch'i' v'ho scorte.<br />
([[Dante Alighieri]]), ''La Divina Commedia'', Inferno, I, 1-9, 1304-1307 AD
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<math>\mathfrak{T}</math>utti li stati, tutti e' dominii che hanno avuto et hanno imperio sopra li uomini, sono stati e sono o repubbliche o principati. E' principati sono o ereditarii, de' quali el sangue del loro signore ne sia suto lungo tempo principe, o e' sono nuovi. E' nuovi, o sono nuovi tutti, come fu Milano a Francesco Sforza, o sono come membri aggiunti allo stato ereditario del principe che li acquista, come è el regno di Napoli al re di Spagna. Sono questi dominii così acquistati, o consueti a vivere sotto uno principe, o usi ad essere liberi; et acquistonsi, o con le armi d'altri o con le proprie, o per fortuna o per virtù.<br />
([[Niccolò Machiavelli]]), ''Principe'', Ch. 1, 1513 AD
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<math>\mathfrak{Q}</math>uel ramo del lago di Como, che volge a mezzogiorno, tra due catene non interrotte di monti, tutto a seni e a golfi, a seconda dello sporgere e del rientrare di quelli che, vien, quasi a un tratto, a ristringersi, e a prender corso e figura di fiume, tra un promontorio a destra, e un'ampia costiera dall'altra parte; e il ponte, che ivi congiunge le due rive, par che renda ancor più sensibile all'occhio questa trasformazione, e segni il punto in cui il lago cessa, e l'Adda ricomincia, per ripigliar poi il nome di lago dove le rive, allontanandosi di nuovo, lascian l'acqua distendersi e rallentarsi in nuovi golfi e nuovi seni.<br />
([[Alessandro Manzoni]]), ''I promessi sposi'', Ch.1, 1840 AD
</blockquote>
Italian is written using the [[Latin alphabet]]. The letters ''J'', ''K'', ''W'', ''X'' and ''Y'' are not considered part of the standard [[Italian alphabet]], but appear in loanwords (such as ''jeans'', ''whisky'', ''taxi''). ''X'' has become a commonly used letter in genuine Italian words with the prefix ''extra-''. ''J'' in Italian is an old-fashioned orthographic variant of ''I'', appearing in the first name "Jacopo" as well as in some Italian place names, e.g., the towns of [[Bajardo]], [[Bojano]], [[Joppolo]], [[Jesolo]], [[Jesi]], among numerous others, and in the alternate spelling ''Mar Jonio'' (also spelled ''Mar Ionio'') for the [[Ionian Sea]].  ''J'' may also appear in many words from different dialects, but its use is discouraged in contemporary Italian, and it is not part of the standard 21-letter contemporary Italian alphabet. Each of these foreign letters had an Italian equivalent spelling: ''gi'' for ''j'', ''c'' or ''ch'' for ''k'', ''u'' or ''v'' for ''w'' (depending on what sound it makes), ''cs'' or ''s'' for ''x'', and ''i'' for ''y''.
* Italian uses the [[acute accent]] over the letter ''E'' (as in ''perché'', why/because) to indicate a front mid-close vowel, and the [[grave accent]] (as in ''tè'', tea) to indicate a front mid-open vowel. The [[grave accent]] is also used on letters ''A'', ''I'', ''O'', and ''U'' to mark [[stress (linguistics)|stress]] when it falls on final vowel of a word (for instance ''gioventù'', youth). Typically, the penultimate syllable is stressed. If syllables other than the last one are stressed, the accent is not mandatory, unlike in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and, in virtually all cases, it is omitted. In some cases, when the word is ambiguous (as ''principi''), the accent mark is sometimes used in order to disambiguate its meaning (in this case, ''prìncipi'', princes, or ''princìpi'', principles). This is however not compulsory. Rare words with three or more syllables can confuse Italians themselves, and the pronunciation of [[Istanbul]] is a common example of a word in which placement of stress is not clearly established. Another instance is the American State of [[Florida]]: the correct way to pronounce it in Italian is like in Spanish, "Florìda", but since there is an Italian word meaning the same ("flourishing"), "flòrida", and because of the influence of English, many Italians pronounce it that way.
* The letter ''H'' at the beginning of a word is used to distinguish ''ho'', ''hai'', ''ha'', ''hanno'' (present indicative of ''avere'', 'to have') from ''o'' ('or'), ''ai'' ('to the'), ''a'' ('to'), ''anno'' ('year'). In the spoken language this letter is always silent for the cases given above.  ''H'' is also used in combinations with other letters (see below), but no [[phoneme]] {{IPA|[h]}} exists in Italian. In foreign words entered in common use, like "hotel" or "hovercraft", the H is commonly silent. You commonly pronounce them as {{IPA|/oˈtɛl/}} and {{IPA|/ˈɔverkraft/}}
* The letter ''Z'' represents {{IPA|/ʣ/}}, for example: ''Zanzara'' {{IPA|/dzan'dzaɾa/}} (mosquito), or {{IPA|/ʦ/}}, for example: ''Nazione'' {{IPA|/naˈttsjone/}} (nation), depending on context, though there are few [[minimal pair]]s. The same goes for ''S'', which can represent {{IPA|/s/}} or {{IPA|/z/}}. However, these two phonemes are in [[complementary distribution]] everywhere except between two vowels in the same word, and even in such environment there are extremely few minimal pairs, so that this distinction is being lost in many varieties.
* The letters ''C'' and ''G'' represent [[affricate]]s: {{IPA|/ʧ/}} as in "chair" and {{IPA|/ʤ/}} as in "gem", respectively, before the [[front vowel]]s ''I'' and ''E''.  They are pronounced as [[plosive]]s {{IPA|/k/}}, {{IPA|/g/}} (as in "call" and "gall") otherwise. Front/back vowel rules for ''C'' and ''G'' are similar in [[French language|French]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and to some extent [[English language|English]] (including [[Old English]]).  [[swedish language|Swedish]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] have similar rules for ''K'' and ''G''. (See also [[palatalization]].)
* However, an ''H'' can be added between ''C'' or ''G'' and ''E'' or ''I'' to represent a plosive, and an ''I'' can be added between ''C'' or ''G'' and ''A'', ''O'' or ''U'' to signal that the consonant is an affricate. For example:
:{| class="wikitable"
!
!colspan="2"|Before back vowel (A, O, U)
!colspan="2"|Before front vowel (I, E)
|-
!rowspan="2"| Plosive
!'''C'''
|caramella {{IPA|/kaɾaˈmɛlla/}}
!'''CH'''
|china {{IPA|/ˈkina/}}
|-
!'''G'''
|gallo {{IPA|/ˈgallo/}}
!'''GH'''
|ghiro {{IPA|/ˈgiro/}}
|-
!rowspan="2"| Affricate
!'''CI'''
|ciaramella {{IPA|/ʧaɾaˈmɛlla/}}
!'''C'''
|Cina {{IPA|/ˈʧina/}}
|-
!'''GI'''
|giallo {{IPA|/ˈʤallo/}}
!'''G'''
|giro {{IPA|/ˈʤiro/}}
|}
:Note that the ''H'' is [[silent letter|silent]] in the digraphs ''[[ch (digraph)|CH]]'' and ''[[gh (digraph)|GH]]'', as also the ''I'' in ''cia'', ''cio'', ''ciu'' and even ''cie'' is not pronounced as a separate vowel, unless it carries the primary stress. For example, it is silent in ''[[ciao]]'' {{IPA|/ˈʧa.o/}} and cielo {{IPA|/ˈʧɛ.lo/}}, but it is pronounced in ''farmacia'' {{IPA|/ˌfaɾ.ma.ˈʧi.a/}} and ''farmacie'' {{IPA|/ˌfaɾ.ma.ˈʧi.e/}}.
* There are three other special [[digraph (orthography)|digraphs]] in Italian:  ''[[gn (digraph)|GN]]'', ''GL'' and ''SC''.  ''GN'' represents {{IPA|/ɲ/}} and ''GL'' represents {{IPA|/ʎ/}} only before ''i'', and never at the beginning of a word, except in the [[personal pronoun]] and [[definite article]] ''gli''.  (Compare with [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''ñ'' and ''ll'', [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''nh'' and ''lh''.) ''SC'' represents fricative {{IPA|/ʃ/}} before ''i'' or ''e''. Except in the speech of some Northern Italians, all of these are normally [[geminate]] between vowels.
* In general, all letters or digraphs represent phonemes rather clearly, and in standard varieties of Italian, there is little allophonic variation. The most notable exceptions are assimilation of /n/ in point of articulation before consonants, assimilatory voicing of /s/ to following voiced consonants, and vowel length (vowels are long in stressed open syllables, and short elsewhere) &mdash; compare with the enormous number of [[allophone]]s of the English phoneme /t/. Spelling is clearly phonemic and difficult to mistake given a clear pronunciation.  Exceptions are generally only found in foreign borrowings. There are fewer cases of [[dyslexia]] than among speakers of languages such as English, and the concept of a spelling bee is strange to Italians.
===Common variations in the writing systems===
Some variations in the usage of the writing system may be present in practical use. These are scorned by educated people, but they are so common in certain contexts that knowledge of them may be useful.
* Usage of ''x'' instead of ''per'': this is very common among teenagers and in [[Text messaging|SMS]] abbreviations. The multiplication operator is pronounced "per" in Italian, and so it is sometimes used to replace the word "per", which means "for"; thus, for example, "per te" ("for you") is shortened to "x te" (compare with English "4 U"). Words containing ''per'' can also have it replaced with ''x'': for example, ''perché'' (both "why" and "because") is often shortened as ''xché'' or ''xké'' or ''x' ''(see below). This usage might be useful to jot down quick notes or to fit more text into the low character limit of an SMS, but it is considered unacceptable in formal writing.
* Usage of foreign letters such as ''k'', ''j'' and ''y'', especially in nicknames and SMS language: ''ke'' instead of ''che'', ''Giusy'' instead of ''Giuseppina'' (or sometimes ''Giuseppe''). This is curiously mirrored in the usage of ''i'' in English names such as ''Staci'' instead of ''Stacey'', or in the usage of ''c'' in [[Northern Europe]] (''Jacob'' instead of ''Jakob''). The use of "k" instead of "ch" or "c" to represent a plosive sound is documented in some historical texts from before the standardization of the Italian language; however, that usage is no longer standard in Italian. Possibly because it is associated with the [[German language]], the letter "k" has sometimes also been used in satire to suggest that a political figure is an authoritarian or even a "pseudo-nazi": [[Francesco Cossiga]] was famously nicknamed ''Kossiga'' by rioting students during his tenure as minister of internal affairs.  [Cf. the [[alternative political spelling#"K" replacing "C"|politicized spelling ''Amerika'']] in the USA.]
* Usage of other abbreviations: '''nn''' instead of ''non'' (not), '''cmq''' instead of ''comunque'' (anyway, however), '''cm''' instead of ''come'' (how, like, as), '''d''' instead of ''di'' (of), '''(io/loro) sn''' instead of ''(io/loro) sono'' (I am/they are), '''(io) dv''' instead of ''(io) devo'' (I must/I have to) or instead of ''dove'' (where), '''(tu) 6''' instead of ''(tu) sei'' (you are).
* Inexperienced typists often replace accents with apostrophes, such as in ''perche<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' instead of ''perché''.  Uppercase ''[[È]]'' is particularly rare, as it is absent from the [[Keyboard layout#Italian|Italian keyboard layout]], and is very often written as ''E''' (even though there are [[:it:Aiuto:Manuale di stile#Scrivere .C3.88|several ways]] of producing the uppercase È on a computer).  This never happens in books or other professionally typeset material.
* Few are aware of the distinction between grave and acute accents, so it is also common to see ''perchè''.  Modern word processing systems, however, tend to correct this mistake (unlike the previous one).
==Samples==
{| class="wikitable"
! English || Italian || Audio
|-
||Italian|| '''''italiano'''''|| ([[Media:Italian italiano.ogg|listen]])
|-
||English || '''''inglese'''''|| ([[Media:Italian inglese.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Yes || ''Sì''|| ([[Media:Italian sì.ogg|listen]])
|-
||No || ''No''|| ([[Media:Italian no.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Of course! || ''Certo! / Certamente!''||
|-
||Hello! || ''[[Ciao]]!'' (informal) ''/ [[Salve (greeting)|Salve]]!'' (general)|| ([[Media:Italian ciao.ogg|listen]])
|-
||How are you? || ''Come stai?'' (informal) ''/ Come sta?'' (formal) ''/ Come state?'' (plural) ''/ Come va?'' (general) ||
|-
||Good morning! || ''Buon giorno!'' (= Good day!)||
|-
||Good afternoon! || ''Buon pomeriggio!'' (unusual) ''/ Buona sera!'' (more usual)||
|-
||Good evening! || ''Buona sera!''||
|-
||Good night! || ''Buona notte!'' (for a good night sleeping) ''/ Buona serata!'' (for a good night awake)||
|-
||Have a good lunch/dinner! || ''Le'' (plural, ''Vi'') ''auguro un buon pranzo/una buona cena!'' (formal) ''/ Buon appetito!'' (informal)||
|-
||Welcome [to...] || ''Benvenuto/-i'' (for male/males or mixed) ''/ Benvenuta/-e (for female/females) [a / in...]''||
|-
||Goodbye! || ''Arrivederci/-rLa'' (formal) / ''Ci vediamo!'' or simply ''Ciao!'' (informal)|| ([[Media:Italian arrivederci.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Have a nice day! || ''Buona giornata!'' (formal)||
|-
||Good luck! Thank you!|| ''Buona fortuna! Grazie!'' (general) ''/ In bocca al lupo! Crepi (il lupo)!'' (to wish s.o. to overcome a difficulty)||
|-
||Please || ''Per piacere / Per favore / Per cortesia''|| ([[Media:Italian per favore.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Thank you! || ''Grazie!'' (general) ''/ Ti ringrazio!'' (informal) ''/ La ringrazio!'' (formal) / ''Vi ringrazio!'' (plural) || ([[Media:Italian grazie.ogg|listen]])
|-
||You're welcome! || ''Prego!'' / ''Di niente!''||
|-
||I'm sorry || ''Mi dispiace'' (general) ''/ Scusa(mi)'' (informal) ''/ Mi scusi'' (formal) ''/Scusatemi'' (plural) / Sono desolato'' (if male) ''/ Sono desolata'' (if female)|| ([[Media:Italian scusi.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Excuse me || ''Scusa(mi)'' (informal) ''/ (Mi) scusi'' (formal) ''/ Scusate(mi)'' (plural) / ''(Con) permesso!'' (in order to pass on, to advance) ||
|-
||Who? || ''Chi?''||
|-
||What? || ''Che cosa? / Cosa? / Che?''||
|-
||When? || ''Quando?''||
|-
||Where? || ''Dove?''||
|-
||Why? || ''Perché?''||
|-
||What's your name? || ''Come ti chiami?'' (informal) ''/ Come si chiama?'' (formal) ''/ Come vi chiamate?'' (plural)||
|-
||Because || ''Perché''||
|-
||How? || ''Come?''||
|-
||How much? / How many? || ''Quanto? / Quanti?''||
|-
||I do not understand. || ''Non capisco. / Non ho capito.''|| ([[Media:Italian non capisco.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Yes, I understand. || ''Sì, capisco. / Ho capito.''||
|-
||Help me!|| ''Aiutami!'' (informal) ''/ Mi aiuti!'' (formal) ''/ Aiutatemi!'' (plural) ''/ Aiuto!'' (general)||
|-
||You're right/wrong! || ''(Tu) hai ragione/torto!'' (informal) ''/ (Lei) ha ragione/torto!'' (formal) ''/ (Voi) avete ragione/torto!'' (plural)||
|-
||What time is it?|| ''Che ora è? / Che ore sono?''||
|-
||Where is the bathroom?|| ''Dov'è il bagno?''|| ([[Media:Italian dov'è il bagno.ogg|listen]])
|-
||Do you speak English? || ''Parli inglese?'' (informal) ''/ Parla inglese?'' (formal) ''/ Parlate inglese?'' (plural)|| ([[Media:Italian parlate inglese.ogg|listen]])
|-
||I don't understand Italian.|| ''Non capisco l'italiano. / Non comprendo l'italiano.''||
|-
||The check, please. (In restaurant)|| ''Il conto, grazie.''||
|-
||The study of Italian sharpens the mind.|| ''Lo studio dell'italiano aguzza l'ingegno.''||
|-
|}
==Examples==
*Cheers (generic toast): ''cin cin'' {{IPA|/tʃin tʃin/}}
*English: ''inglese'' {{IPA|/iŋˈglese/}}
*Good-bye: ''arrivederci'' {{IPA|/arriveˈdertʃi/}}
*Hello: ''[[ciao]]'' {{IPA|/ˈtʃao/}}
*Good morning/good day: ''buon giorno'' {{IPA|/bwɔnˈdʒorno/}}
*Good evening: ''buona sera'' {{IPA|/bwɔnaˈsera/}}
*Yes: ''sì'' {{IPA|/si/}}
*No: ''no'' {{IPA|/nɔ/}}
*How are you? : Come stai {{IPA|/ˈkome ˈstai/}} (informal); Come sta {{IPA|/ˈkome 'sta/}} (formal)
*Sorry: ''mi dispiace'' {{IPA|/mi disˈpjatʃe/}}
*Excuse me: scusa {{IPA|/ˈskuza/}} (informal); scusi {{IPA|/ˈskuzi/}} (formal)
*Again: ''di nuovo'', /{{IPA|di ˈnwɔvo}}/; ''ancora'' /{{IPA|aŋˈkora}}/
*Always: ''sempre'' /{{IPA|ˈsɛmpre}}/
*When: ''quando'' {{IPA|/ˈkwando/}}
*Where: ''dove'' {{IPA|/'dove/}}
*Why/Because: ''perché'' {{IPA|/perˈke/}}
*How: ''come'' {{IPA|/'kome/}}
*How much: ''quanto'' {{IPA|/ˈkwanto/}}
*Thank you!: ''grazie!'' {{IPA|/ˈgrattsie/}}
*Bon appetit: ''buon appetito'' {{IPA|/ˌbwɔn appeˈtito/}}
*You're welcome!: ''prego!'' {{IPA|/ˈprɛgo/}}
*I love you: ''Ti amo'' {{IPA|/ti ˈamo/}}, ''Ti voglio bene'' {{IPA|/ti ˈvɔʎʎo ˈbɛne/}}. The difference is that you use "Ti amo" when you are in a romantic relationship, "Ti voglio bene" in any other occasion (to parents, to relatives, to friends...)
Counting to twenty:
*One: ''uno'' {{IPA|/ˈuno/}}
*Two: ''due'' {{IPA|/ˈdue/}}
*Three: ''tre'' {{IPA|/tre/}}
*Four: ''quattro'' {{IPA|/ˈkwattro/}}
*Five: ''cinque'' {{IPA|/ˈʧiŋkwe/}}
*Six: ''sei'' {{IPA|/ˈsɛi/}}
*Seven: ''sette'' {{IPA|/ˈsɛtte/}}
*Eight: ''otto'' {{IPA|/ˈɔtto/}}
*Nine: ''nove'' {{IPA|/ˈnɔve/}}
*Ten: ''dieci'' {{IPA|/ˈdjɛʧi/}}
*Eleven: ''undici'' {{IPA|/ˈundiʧi/}}
*Twelve: ''dodici'' {{IPA|/ˈdodiʧi/}}
*Thirteen: ''tredici'' {{IPA|/ˈtrediʧi/}}
*Fourteen: ''quattordici'' {{IPA|/kwat'tordiʧi/}}
*Fifteen: ''quindici'' {{IPA|/ˈkwindiʧi/}}
*Sixteen: ''sedici'' {{IPA|/ˈsediʧi/}}
*Seventeen: ''diciassette'' {{IPA|/diʧas'sɛtte/}}
*Eighteen: ''diciotto'' {{IPA|/di'ʧɔtto/}}
*Nineteen: ''diciannove'' {{IPA|/diʧan'nɔve/}}
*Twenty: ''venti'' {{IPA|/'venti/}}
The days of the week:
*Monday: ''lunedì'' {{IPA|/lune'di/}} (the day of the Moon)
*Tuesday: ''martedì'' {{IPA|/marte'di/}} (the day of Mars, the Roman god of war)
*Wednesday: ''mercoledì'' {{IPA|/merkole'di/}} (the day of Mercury, the Roman god of commerce)
*Thursday: ''giovedì'' {{IPA|/dʒove'di/}} (the day of Jupiter, the Roman god of sky and weather)
*Friday: ''venerdì'' {{IPA|/vener'di/}} (the day of Venus, the Roman goddess of love)
*Saturday: ''sabato'' {{IPA|/ˈsabato/}} (the day of rest, from Hebrew)
*Sunday: ''domenica'' {{IPA|/do'menika/}} (the day of the Lord)
==Sample texts==
You can hear a recording of [[Dante]]'s [[Divine Comedy]] read by [[Lino Pertile]] at http://etcweb.princeton.edu/dante/pdp/
From the [[Bible]]:
<blockquote>
'''2:1''' In quei giorni, un decreto di Cesare Augusto ordinava che si facesse un censimento di tutta la terra. '''2''' Questo primo censimento fu fatto quando Quirino era governatore della Siria. '''3''' Tutti andavano a farsi registrare, ciascuno nella propria città. '''4''' Anche Giuseppe, che era della casa e della famiglia di Davide, dalla città di Nazaret e dalla Galilea si recò in Giudea nella città di Davide, chiamata Betlemme, '''5''' per farsi registrare insieme a Maria, sua sposa, che era incinta. '''6''' Proprio mentre si trovavano lì, venne il tempo per lei di partorire. '''7''' Mise al mondo il suo primogenito, lo avvolse in fasce e lo depose in una mangiatoia, poiché non c'era posto per loro nella locanda.</blockquote>
==References and notes==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.italianlearningtips.com Italian Learning Tips]
*[http://www.geocities.com/wanderingleopard/italian.html Italian Grammar Primer]
*[http://www.lingua21.com/Italian_Online_Glossaries_Dictionaries.htm Italian Online Dictionaries and Glossaries]
[[Category:Italian language| ]]
[[Category:Languages of Italy]]
[[Category:Languages of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Languages of Vatican City]]
[[Category:Languages of San Marino]]
[[Category:Languages of Slovenia]]

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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.

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