{"id":7449,"date":"2026-03-20T15:35:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T14:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpilink.it\/?p=7449"},"modified":"2026-03-29T11:03:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T09:03:18","slug":"window-to-the-regional-languages-of-northern-italy-front-rounded-vowels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpilink.it\/en\/2026\/03\/20\/window-to-the-regional-languages-of-northern-italy-front-rounded-vowels\/","title":{"rendered":"Window to the regional languages of Northern Italy: front rounded vowels"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Window to the regional languages of Northern Italy: front rounded vowels<\/span><\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n
\n

Vowels differ according to numerous features, most importantly with respect to the position of the tongue in the oral cavity (high-low, front-back) and lip rounding. In most of the world’s languages there is a correlation between the front-back dimension and lip rounding such that back vowels are rounded and front vowels are unrounded (Ladefoged & Maddieson 1996, p. 292). Standard Italian and Standard Slovenian correspond to this typologically dominant correlation. Standard German and French, by contrast, distinguish between rounded and unrounded front vowel phonemes, for example German k\u00fcssen<\/i> \/k\u028fs\u0259n\/ ‘to kiss’ vs. Kissen<\/i> \/k\u026as\u0259n\/ ‘pillow’. However, the dialects and minority languages in northern Italy have vowel systems that often differ from those of the related national languages.<\/p>\n

German-Germanic<\/span>:<\/span> Only Cimbrian has rounded and unrounded front vowels <\/span>like<\/span> Standard German, because the<\/span> vowels mutated by <\/span>u<\/span>mlaut in Middle High German have been preserved. An example is the possessive pronoun <\/span>unser<\/span><\/em> ‘<\/span>our<\/span>‘<\/span>), whose stem vowel in Cimbrian<\/span> – <\/span>unlike in the dialects <\/span>which<\/span> Standard German<\/span> developed from – <\/span>underwent analogical umlaut <\/span>u<\/i><\/span> > <\/span>\u00fc<\/i><\/span> (cf. Klein, Solms, Wegera 2018, p. 366), as can be heard in sentence S17 <\/span>Jeder f\u00e4hrt alleine: wir mit unserem Auto, ihr mit eurem<\/i><\/span> ‘<\/span>Everyone drives separately: we with our car, you with yours<\/span>‘<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Cimbrian<\/strong><\/a> (Lusern)<\/span>: Aniaglas geat selbart: biar pin \u00fcnsar<\/strong> auto, de\u00a0<\/em>\u00e5ndre\u00a0<\/i>pin a\u00fcr<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_cim_U0004.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_cim_U0004)<\/p>\n

Cimbrian<\/strong><\/a> (Giazza): Onji uanz iz geat pa saine saite: barandre pit \u00fcsar<\/strong> auto, irandre khent pitu aur<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_cim_U0809.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_cim_U0809)<\/p>\n

No other historically German variety in northern Italy has rounded front vowels\u00a0<\/span>(except some Ahrntal and Antholz dialects in which the vowels are not, however, results of the usual umlaut processes, cf. already <\/span>Kranzmayer 1960, <\/span>pp<\/span>. 174-175<\/span>)<\/span>. In Tyrolean, M\u00f2cheno (<\/span>Fersentalerisch<\/i><\/span>), Sappadino (<\/span>Plodarisch<\/i><\/span>), <\/span>Saurano<\/span> (<\/span>Zahrerisch<\/i><\/span>), and Walser German, <\/span>unser<\/span><\/em> had also undergone analogical umlaut. However, the umlauted vowel <\/span>\u00fc<\/i><\/span> later <\/span>got <\/span>unrounded to <\/span>i<\/i><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tyrolean<\/strong><\/a> (Schlanders, Vinschgau): Jeader fohrt alloan: mir mit <\/i>inserm<\/b><\/i> auto un es mit enkren<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_tir_U0684.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_tir_U0684)<\/p>\n

M\u00f2cheno<\/strong><\/a> (Pal\u00f9 del Fersina): An jeden geat selbscht\u00e4ndig: wirondre pit n <\/i>insere<\/b><\/i> auto irondre pit n enkher<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_mhn_U1436.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_mhn_U1436)<\/p>\n

Sappadino<\/strong><\/a>: An jeader geat selberscht: mir pit <\/i>insere<\/b><\/i> maschin und ir pit enkhra<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_plo_U0874.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_plo_U0874)<\/p>\n

Saurano<\/strong><\/a>: An jeader geat allane: bir mit <\/i>inserder<\/b><\/i> macchina ir m<\/i>it ai<\/i>r<\/i>der<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_zah_U1671.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_zah_U1671)<\/p>\n

Walser German<\/strong><\/a> (Formazza, Piedmont): Netweders \u00e4leinig<\/i>:<\/i> wir mit <\/i>ind<\/b><\/i>s<\/b><\/i>cher<\/b><\/i> auto un ir mit ewro<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_wae_U0038.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_wae_U0038)<\/p>\n

Walser German<\/strong><\/a> (Gressoney Saint-Jean, Aosta Valley): Wir gen sich selbsch<\/i>:<\/i> wir m <\/i>indschi<\/b><\/i> auto un ir mi owe<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_wae_U0290.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_wae_U0290)<\/p>\n

In <\/span>Timavese<\/span> (<\/span>Tischelwangerisch<\/i><\/span>) and <\/span>Valcanale<\/span> German, by contrast, the stem vowel in <\/span>unser<\/span><\/em> was never umlauted and remain<\/span>ed<\/span> u<\/i><\/span> as in Standard German and in the Carinthian dialects, of which these two minority languages form the direct geographical continuation (cf. Pohl 1989, pp. 46, 48).<\/span><\/p>\n

Timavese<\/strong><\/a>:\u00a0A<\/i>nias geat alana, miar mit <\/i>unsarn<\/b><\/i> auto unt deis mit enckarn<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_tis_U0766.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_tis_U0766)<\/p>\n

Valcanale German<\/strong><\/a> (Tarvisio): Jeder f\u00e4hrt f\u00fcr sich: mir mit <\/i>unser<\/b><\/i>n<\/b><\/i> auto und ir mit aire <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S17_ktd_U1778.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S17_ktd_U1778)<\/p>\n

The Romance dialects and minority languages are compared <\/span>for <\/span>the words for <\/span>‘<\/span>fruit<\/span>‘<\/span> in sentence S04 <\/span>La frutta l<\/span><\/em>‘<\/span><\/em>hai gi\u00e0 portata o posso portarla io?<\/span><\/em> ‘<\/span>Have you already brought fruit, or shall I bring it?<\/span>‘\u00a0<\/span>Friulian <\/span>and most Venetan and Trentino dialects <\/span>agree wi<\/span>th Standard Italian in that they do not have rounded front vowels. The words <\/span>fruta<\/span><\/em> and <\/span>pomis<\/span><\/em> ‘<\/span>fruit<\/span>‘<\/span> are pronounced with the rounded back vowels <\/span>u<\/i><\/span> and <\/span>o<\/i><\/span>.<\/span>i arrotondate u<\/i> e o<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Friulian<\/strong><\/a> (Tricesimo, Province of Udine): Lis <\/i>pomis<\/b><\/i> lis atu gi\u00e0 portadis o pod\u00eco portarlis <\/i>jo?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_fur_U1152.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_fur_U1152)<\/p>\n

Venetan<\/strong><\/a> (Treviso): La <\/i>fruta<\/b><\/i> <\/i>a <\/i>gatu sa portada o posso portarla mi?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_vec_U0482.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_vec_U0482)<\/p>\n

Trentino<\/strong><\/a> (Predaia, Province of Trento): La <\/i><\/span>fruta<\/b><\/i><\/span> l’as sa portada o la porti mi<\/i><\/span>?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_tre_U1733.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_tre_U1733)<\/p>\n

In the vowel systems of all other Romance varieties, however, rounded and unrounded front vowels occur, though in different ways depending on the language and subvariety.<\/p>\n

Among the Ladin varieties, only the<\/span> Gadertal dialects (Badiotto) <\/span>in South Tyrol ha<\/span>ve<\/span> rounded front vowels (and the variety of Moena <\/span>in Trentino<\/span> well, but only with the sound [\u00f8], cf. Salvi 2020, p. 70). It is doubtful that contact with German played a role here, since the Tyrolean dialects as <\/span>the main<\/span> contact languages do not have rounded front vowels at all, and they are also absent in <\/span>Gardenese<\/span> also<\/span> spoken in South Tyrol (cf. Casalicchio 2024, p. 84). The other Ladin varieties agree with Italian in linking the features <\/span>‘<\/span>front<\/span>‘<\/span> and <\/span>‘unroun<\/span>ded<\/span>‘<\/span>. In the following examples, the rounded front vowel <\/span>\u00f6<\/i><\/span>, <\/span>[\u00f8]<\/span> in phonetic transcription, <\/span>is heard only in <\/span>Badiotto<\/span>; <\/span>in the other varities<\/span> the rounded back vowel <\/span>u<\/i><\/span> is attested<\/span>. Note that in the Ladin <\/span>varieties <\/span>of South Tyrol (<\/span>Badiotto and Gardenese<\/span>), forms of an underlying lexeme <\/span>verdura<\/span><\/em> are used for <\/span>‘<\/span>fruit<\/span>‘<\/span>, which in Italian means <\/span>‘<\/span>vegetables<\/span>‘<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Badiotto<\/strong><\/a> (St. Martin in Thurn, South Tyrol): T<\/i>‘<\/i>s t\u00f6 bele tut l<\/i>‘<\/i>ord\u00f6ra<\/b><\/i> cun te o dessi i\u00f6 m<\/i>‘<\/i>la t\u00f3 cun me?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lld_U0252.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lld_U0252)<\/p>\n

Gardenese<\/strong><\/a> (St. Christina in Gr\u00f6den, South Tyrol): Ess<\/i>‘<\/i>a bel purt\u00e0 pea <\/i>versura<\/b><\/i> o dess’ pa ie la purt\u00e9 pea?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lld_U0172.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lld_U0172)<\/p>\n

Fassano<\/strong><\/a> (San Giovanni di Fassa, Province of Trento): I <\/i>fruc<\/b><\/i> i asto port\u00e8 tu o posse i portar gio?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lld_U0389.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lld_U0389)<\/p>\n

Ampezzano<\/strong><\/a> (Cortina d’Ampezzo, Province of Belluno): I <\/i>frute<\/b><\/i> i asto ormai portade o pode i port\u00e0 i\u00f2<\/i>?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lld_U0742.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lld_U0742)<\/p>\n

Fodom<\/strong><\/a> (Colle Santa Lucia, Province of Belluno): L<\/i><\/span>a <\/i>fruta<\/b><\/i> l\u2019asto bele portada o posse la port\u00e0 mi?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lld_U0494.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lld_U0494)<\/p>\n

In the Lombard and Piedmontese dialects, as in Gallo-Romance in general, the rounded front vowels \u00fc<\/i><\/span> [y] <\/span>and<\/span> \u00f6<\/i><\/span> [\u00f8]<\/span> are widespread, as already noted by Biondelli (1853, p. XLVIII); in some dialects they even function as shibboleth forms (for the change [u] > [y], cf. Rohlfs 1949, pp. 102-105).<\/p>\n

Lombard<\/strong><\/a> (Gazzaniga, Province of Bergamo): L<\/i><\/span>a <\/i><\/span>fr\u00fcta<\/b><\/i><\/span> a l’e giamm\u00f2 portada p\u00f6de purtela me<\/i><\/span>?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lmo_U1740.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lmo_U1740)<\/p>\n

Lombard<\/strong><\/a> (Brescia): La <\/i>fr\u00fcta<\/b><\/i> l’e gi\u00e0 portada o <\/i>p<\/i>\u00f6de purtela me<\/i>?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_lmo_U0393.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_lmo_U0393)<\/p>\n

Piedmontese<\/strong><\/a> (Borgosesia, Province of Vercelli): La <\/i>fr\u00fcta<\/b><\/i> ma t’ei gi\u00e0 purtala o p\u00f6s purtela me?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_pms_U1179.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_pms_U1179)<\/p>\n

Piedmontese<\/strong><\/a> (Mont\u00e0, Province of Cuneo): La <\/i>fr\u00fcta<\/b><\/i> l’ati z-gi\u00e0 purtala o p\u00f6s purtela me? <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_pms_U1054.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_pms_U1054)<\/p>\n

Francoproven\u00e7al has the full inventory of rounded front vowels as in French, whereas in the central valleys of Occitan only \u00fc<\/i> [y] occurs as a rounded front vowel (cf. Rivoira 2024, p. 292).<\/p>\n

Francoproven\u00e7al<\/strong><\/a> (Aosta): L<\/i>a <\/i>fr\u00fctta<\/b><\/i> t’a dza porto\u00f9-la o fa la port\u00ec me<\/i>?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_frp_U0861.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_frp_U0861)<\/p>\n

Francoproven\u00e7al<\/strong><\/a> (Balme, Province of Turin): La <\/i>fr\u00fcta<\/b><\/i> ‘t l’a gi\u00e0 purt\u00e0 o p\u00f6 purtela me?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_frp_U1396.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_frp_U1396)<\/p>\n

Occitan<\/strong><\/a> (Limone Piemonte, Province of Cuneo): L<\/i><\/span>a <\/i>fr\u00fcto<\/b><\/i> l’as dzo pourt\u00f2<\/i> <\/i>o p\u00f6 purtela me<\/i>?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S04_oci_U1352.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S04_oci_U1352)<\/p>\n

In the AlpiLinK audio recordings of Resian, the sound [\u0153] can be heard, namely in the word for <\/span>‘<\/span>child<\/span>‘<\/span> in sentence S20 <\/span>Alcuni bambini piccoli parlano ancora in dialetto<\/span><\/em> ‘<\/span>Some small children still speak dialect<\/span>‘<\/span>, which in Standard Sloven<\/span>ian <\/span>is <\/span>otrok<\/span><\/em> and <\/span>which <\/span>is written <\/span>for San Giorgio Resian <\/span>by Steenwijk (1992, p. 329) as <\/span>wotr\u00f3k<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Resian<\/strong><\/a> (San Giorgio, Resia, Provinz Udine): K\u00e1rje<\/i> m<\/i>\u00e1<\/i>l<\/i>o<\/i> <\/i>wotr\u00f6k<\/b><\/i> <\/i>prav<\/i>i<\/i> \u0161\u0107al\u00eb\u0301 <\/i>p\u00f6 nas<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

https:\/\/alpilink.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/S20_res_U1180-1.flac<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n

(Rabanus et al. 2026: S20_res_U1180)<\/p>\n

Author: Stefan Rabanus
\nPublication date: 20 March 2026<\/p>\n

Thanks to Sabrina Bertollo, Ilaria Driussi, Riccardo Ferracin, Alberto Ghia, Malinka Pila, Ruth Videsott and Francesco Zuin for help with transcriptions.<\/p>\n

References<\/em><\/p>\n