The dialect of Abruzzi in general and the dialect of Fallo in particular, use initial and final truncation of word and inconsistent length of vocal sound. Because of this, the phonetic guide provided here indicates only approximately an equivalence of sound. In this Web page the orthography used is that of the Italian language. One, however, should keep in mind some of the characteristics of the Fallese dialect. There is a frequent use of syncopated 'n- and 'm- at the beginning of certain word, many of which are words that begin in in- or im- in modern Italian. The 'n- sound is made with the tip of the tongue gliding over the upper alveolar ridge, and the 'm- sound is made with a mild labial sound. Both sounds are barely audible: è 'nteressant, è 'mpurtant. The sound ie when final is almost silent: 'ntoni(ie). This sound is indicated in writing by ie in parentheses at the end of the word. A euphonic a (and sometimes other vowels) is a short but audible a used as a linker with a following word beginning with a consonant. This usually happens with feminine words which when used alone do not have this a. This euphonic vowel is indicated in parentheses in the text: la figl (the daughter), la figl(a) me (my daughter); tant(a) gent (many people).
Very short vowels in the middle of the word when barely audible are also indicated in parentheses in the text: annumm(e)nuà (to mention).
The hard or soft pronunciation of the c and g at the beginning and in the middle of the word follows the rules of modern Italian orthography. When the c and the g are final, to avoid confusion in the text, they are written c, cc, g, gg, to indicate a soft sound, and ch, cch, gh, ggh, to indicate a hard sound. The double consonants indicate a longer sound. |