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Lombard/Elision

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Lombard language course
Sentence syntax of Lombard language

Construction of the sentence

Relative clausesVerbal diathesisHypothetical constructionElisionHow to greetHow to ask and express the timeHow to ask and express the dayHow to ask and express the weather

Lombard The reference orthography for this page of Lombard course is New Lombard orthography

Elision is the dropping of a vowel or a syllable from a word.

In Lombard there are cases of:

  • apocope (fall of the final vowel or syllable);
  • apheresis (falling of the initial vowel or syllable);
  • syncope (falling of a vowel or a syllable within a word).

Graphically the elision is represented through the use of the apostrophe <'>.

Apocope

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The apocope is the fall of the final vowel or syllable of a word. No space is left when the apocope occurs and the following word begins with a vowel.

Standards

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The apocope is standard and therefore mandatory when:

  • a article made up of at least two letters ending in a vowel is followed by a word starting with a vowel (or an <h>).
Example (in Milanese dialect):
La inguria la è verda (WRONG) ←→ L'inguria l'è verda (RIGHT) (in English: The watermelon is green)
Example (in Milanese dialect):
La cà la era grossa (WRONG) ←→ La cà l'era grossa (RIGHT) (in English: The house was big)
  • a weak 2nd person singular subject is followed by a word beginning with a vowel (or an <h>).
Example:
Ti te hevet fad (WRONG) ←→ Ti t'hevet fad (RIGHT) (in English: Tu had done)
  • "ghe" (or "ga") is followed by a word starting with a vowel (or <h>).
Example (in Milanese dialect):
Ghe hoo de andà (WRONG) ←→ Gh'hoo de andà (RIGHT) (in English: I have to go)

Non-standard

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There are cases in which it is not standard and is therefore optional, i.e. when:

  • "che" (or "ca") is followed by a word starting with a vowel.
Example (in Milanese dialect):
I ore che inn (STANDARD) ←→ I ore ch'inn (NON-STANDARD) (in English: The hours that are)
  • "de" followed by a word starting with a vowel
Example (in Milanese dialect):
Gh'hoo de andà ←→ Gh'hoo d'andà (in English: I have to go)
  • "se" before a weak subject personal pronoun of the 2nd person singular in Milanese dialect
Example (in Milanese dialect):
Se t'heet fad? ←→ S't'heet fad? (in English: What did you do?)
  • the reflexive/impersonal pronoun "se" is found ahead of a consonant in some dialects (for example Bergamasque or Pavese)
Example (in Bergamasque dialect):
Se poeul fà ←→ S' poeul fa (in English: It can be done)

Apheresis

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Apheresis is the dropping of the initial vowel or syllable of a word. Always leave a space before the apostrophe if the apostrophe is preceded by another word.

Standards

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Apheresis is standard when:

  • the pronoun "come" is used in its contracted form ("‘me").
Example (in Milanese dialect):
'Me la va (in English: How is it going?)
  • the pronoun "cosse" is used in its contracted form ("‘se").
Example (in Milanese dialect):
'Se l’ha fad? (in English: What did he do?)

Non-standard

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Apheresis is non-standard when:

  • a word starting with a vowel is preceded by a word starting with a vowel.
Example (article in Milanese dialect):
Quand che dervi el restell ←→ Quand che dervi 'l restell (in English: When I open the gate)
Example (prepositions in Pavese dialect):
Re ad Cipri → Re 'd Cipri (in Italian: King of Cyprus)
Examples (preposition in Pavese dialect):
Fioeul ad la nebia → Fioeul 'd la nebia[1] (in English: Son/boy of the fog)
Ti at see → Ti 't see (in English: You are)
Note
  1. because the "l" of "fioeul" is not pronounced in Pavese dialect

Syncope

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Syncope is the dropping of a vowel or syllable within a word. Never leave a space either before or after the apostrophe.

Standards

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Syncope is standard when:

  • the contracted form of words such as “ancamò” is used.
Example (in Milanese dialect):
L'è ancamò chì ← → L'è an'mò chì (in English: He is still here / She is still here).