Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 00:26:48 -0700 From: Mad Mario Subject: [GM-7thSea] villanva and vodacce (subtle pronunciation tips) I sent this to John, and then realized more people may want to read it. Now of course, Italian isn't nessecarily Vodacce, but, here are some tips on pronunciation that weren't in the back of the book, for those who are intirested. Double letters: Double letters are special in Italian. In English, a word like "balloon" would be pronounced the same as the fictional word "balune." They are the same, even though one has double letters. In Italian, double letters can make a critical difference in a word. For instance, pronoucing the difference for an avvocato or an avocato could get one an attorney (avvocato) or a tastey bit of fruit (avocato), the only difference in pronunciation being the "v". Or could insult ones attorney, by referring to him AS a piece of fruit, which might be all together bad as well. If the double is a hard consanant, like the "ch" in "Vodacce," there is an ever-so-slight break in the sound, a miniscule pause, like the "cc" is being honored, or enjoyed more. It is a form of emphasis, but it's not really louder, just paused in the middle. If the double is a soft consanant or vowel, like "ll" in Villanova, the word is constant, but slightly longer, as if two words bumped up against one another. So "Villanova" would be like saying two 'words,' "Vill" and "lanova," but right against each other, making an ever-so-slight stretch of the "l" sound. Again, this is like honoring the "l" sound, or enjoying it more. Basically, (I know this sounds silly but I think it works) pretend the double letter is expressing something good, like good food, good art, good sex, whatever, and you have it down. Try it now. Say "Vodace," without expressing the double "c" and then say... "Vodacce." Use your hands -- that usually helps people too (no joke!) That Last Vowel: It is common in slang, dialects, and slang in dialects, for the last vowel to be dropped, slipped, muted, or less expressed. For instance, if speaking a bit sloppily, quicly, or in anger, the "e" (pronounced "eh") at the end of "Vodacce" might fall a bit by the wayside, sounding more like, "Vodacc" or "voDACce" or [voh-DAH-chh(eh)] with the last "e" barely pronounced (almost like a breath or an afterthought) or not at all. This is not "proper" speech, but it is common, especially when rushed, informal, or by commoners and less educated folks (though it is formalized in some dialects!) Letters: There is no k, no h, no j, and no y in Italian. The "k" sound is found in ca, che, chi, co, cu; there is no "h" sound at all(except in a few dialects); the "j" is found in gi and ge; the y sounds melts into gn, gli, and gle, and i transitions ("Io," for instance, sometimes has a bit of "ee-yo" to it, and "i" is ccasionaly glided over into a very y like sound). Dialects: There are over 200 dialects of italian. Some are very stark, like entirely without the hard "c" sound -- instead they use all h sounds where there would be a hard c. Some are so removed from "pure italian" as to be barely recognizeable at times (like Sicilian and Sardenian, the dialects on the major islands). Sometimes people speak very different litterally from one town to the next. There is a national, "pure" Italian, which is what is now taught in schools, but this is very recent. There are really too many variants to get into in detail. Any questions? Or I could just be mad... Mad Mario "It is necessary to distinguish between bravados and Masters: bravados show their knowledge as a mere exhibition, and they receive the clap of the masses; on the other side, Masters teach fencing and lots of tips, but they always hide their best. There is a third category: theoretical Masters; these ones do not teach by doing but by speech. A real Master must join together both categories: theoretical and practical." - Alvaro Guerra de la Vega, 1681 http://www.lightlink.com/mario/Dairyas_saddlebags.html -- Contents Copyright (C) 1997,98,99 by ALDERAC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC.