Here now is the next videoclip in a series related to the Friulian language. In this second part, the speaker describes the main characteristics of the Friulian language. Of particular interest: listen at minute 1.26 where the speaker begins to describe the difference between short and long vowels, using as examples the words pes (fish) and pês (weight), and lat (milk) and lât (gone). Listen at minute 1.41, where she begins to talk about the cj and gj of Friulian, using as examples the words cjan (dog) and gjat (cat). Listen also at minute 3.24, where the speaker says ’save (toad), where the initial ’s sounds like the zed of English.
La gjeografiche là che si fevele furlan e cjape dentri la parte nord-orientâl de penisole taliane. Te regjon Friûl-Vignesie Julie, cent e setantetrê (173) comuns su dusinte cuindis (215) a son delimitâts in maniere uficiâl intal ambit linguistic furlan: trentesîs (36) te ex provincie di Pordenon, cuindis (15) ta chê di Gurize e cent e vincjedoi (122) ta chê di Udin. Si trate di plui dal otante (80) par cent dal teritori regjonâl. Cun di plui a son trê (3) comuns là che si fevele furlan in provincie di Vignesie, inte regjon dal Venit.
La lenghe furlane no derive dal talian, ma e je il risultât di une evoluzion dal latin che si fevelave te regjon di Aquilee, e che tor dal an mil (1000) o podìn za definî come une lenghe par so cont. I manuâi di linguistiche le metin dentri fra lis lenghis retoromanichis cul ladin dolomitan e il romanç de Svuizare.
A son tantis lis carateristichis dal furlan dal pont di viste linguistic, e par rivâ a capîlis miôr provìn a viodi chês principâls:
Par furlan a colin dutis lis vocâls finâls dal latin diferentis de a. Al è par cheste reson che tal talian, par esempli, si dîs cento, ma par furlan si dîs cent. Invezit, pai feminins, o vin une tipiche terminazion in e, cuant che invezit tal talian si à la a.
Une altre carateristiche particolâr e rivuarde lis vocâls lungjis e curtis, come in pes/pês, o in lat/lât, che a àn valôr distintîf e che a puedin ancje cambiâ il significât de peraule.
Une altre peculiaritât e je la formazion di diftoncs, come inte peraule pierdi, che par talian e je perdere, o tiere, che e je terra. A ca e ga dal latin a corispuindin dispès cja e gja par furlan. Par chest, gatto e cane par furlan si disin gjat e cjan.
Altre carateristiche e je la conservazion di cualchi grup di consonantis dal latin, che par talian a van a pierdisi. Par esempli, dal latin glacem al derive il furlan glace; e dal latin clave al derive clâf par furlan.
Une peculiaritât e rivuarde ancje la formazion dal plurâl, che dispès al ven fat cu la zonte di une s inte forme singolâr, come che al sucêt ancje tal inglês. Intai nons feminins che a finissin cun e, il plurâl si fâs par solit cun is, come par esempli femine che al devente feminis.
Une ultime peculiaritât dal furlan e je la presince intal lessic di cetantis peraulis di divignince gjermaniche o slave. Il Friûl, di fat, al è di simpri il puest dulà che a vegnin a cjatâsi lis trê (3) principâls animis linguistichis de Europe: chê neolatine, chê gjermaniche e chê slave. Dut chest si riflet ancje in ciertis peraulis, tant che bearç che al ven dal gotic; bleon o cjast che a vegnin dal langobart; cramâr, bêçs, licôf che a vegnin dal todesc. Invezit, peraulis come ’save o britule a vegnin dal slâf.
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The geographical area where Friulian is spoken covers the north-eastern part of the Italian peninsula. In the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, one hundred and seventy-three (173) out of two hundred and fifteen (215) municipalities are officially recognised as part of the Friulian linguistic area: thirty-six (36) in the former province of Pordenone, fifteen (15) in that of Gorizia and one hundred and twenty-two (122) in that of Udine. This accounts for over eighty (80) per cent of the regional territory. Additionally, there are three (3) municipalities where Friulian is spoken in the province of Venice, in the Veneto region.
The Friulian language does not derive from Italian but is the result of an evolution of the Latin that was spoken in the Aquileia region, and which, in about the year one thousand (1000), we can already define as a language in its own right. Linguistic manuals classify it amongst the Rhaeto-Romance languages, alongside Ladin from the Dolomites and Rumantsch of Switzerland.
There are many linguistic characteristics of Friulian, and to better understand them, let’s attempt to examine the main ones:
In Friulian, all final Latin vowels except a are dropped. It is for this reason, for example, that in Italian, one says cento, but in Friulian, one says cent. As for feminine nouns, there is typically an ending in e, whereas in Italian, it is a.
Another distinctive feature concerns long and short vowels, as in pes/pês (fish/weight) or lat/lât (milk/gone), which sound different and can change the meaning of a word.
Another peculiarity is the formation of diphthongs, as in the word pierdi (to lose), which in Italian is perdere, or tiere (land), which is Italian is terra. The Latin ca and ga often correspond to cja and gja in Friulian. For this reason, {the Italian words} gatto and cane are said gjat (cat) and cjan (dog) in Friulian.
Another characteristic is the preservation of certain Latin consonant clusters that are lost in Italian. For example, from Latin glacem derives Friulian glace (ice); and from Latin clave derives clâf (key) in Frulian.
Another peculiarity concerns the formation of the plural, often created through the addition of an s to the singular form, which also occurs in English. For feminine nouns ending in e, the plural is typically formed with is, for example, femine (woman), which becomes feminis (women).
A final peculiarity of Friulian is the presence of numerous words of Germanic or Slavic origin in its vocabulary. Friuli, in fact, has always been the place where Europe’s three (3) main linguistic souls come to meet: Romance, Germanic and Slavic. All this is even reflected in certain words, such as bearç (courtyard) from Gothic; bleon (sheet) or cjast (loft) from Lombard; and cramâr (itinerant vendor), bêçs (money), licôf (inauguration) from German. Meanwhile, words like ’save (toad) or britule (pocketknife) come from Slavic.
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