ItalianLesson 1 of 1 in the course Italian grammar

Tuscan Varieties: Regional Groups, Pronunciation, and Grammar

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces Tuscan as a group of related Romance varieties, explains its importance in the development of Standard Italian, and surveys its principal regional divisions.

Tuscan (Italian toscano; locally, vernacolo) is a set of Italo-Dalmatian varieties within the Romance language family. The varieties are spoken in Tuscany and, in related forms, in Corsica and Sardinia.

All flashcards

What is Tuscan?
A complex of related Romance varieties spoken mainly in Tuscany, with related varieties in Corsica and Sardinia.
Why was Florentine influential in the development of Standard Italian?
Its literary prestige helped make Tuscan-derived language a basis for Standard Italian.
What consonants does the Tuscan gorgia affect?
The voiceless stops /k/, /t/, and /p/ in relevant post-vocalic contexts.
What does Tuscan a me mi piace mean?
“I like it”; the construction uses both a me and mi to reinforce the indirect object.
What happens to some Tuscan infinitives?
They lose final -re, as in andare becoming andà, while retaining the original stress.

Quiz questions

  1. Which four Tuscan variants did Dante distinguish in De vulgari eloquentia?Answer: Florentine, Sienese, Lucchese, and Aretine
  2. Why is Alto Valdelsano considered a transition variety?Answer: It lies between the Florentine and Sienese varieties.
  3. How do scholars classify Corsican, Gallurese, and Sassarese in relation to Tuscan?Answer: As varieties linked to medieval Tuscan that now form a distinct group.
  4. In Florentine varieties, what distinguishes singular and plural masculine articles pronounced [i]?Answer: The singular lengthens the following consonant; the plural permits weakening.
  5. In the Tuscan construction noi si va, what does si contribute?Answer: It combines with a third-person singular verb to express a first-person plural meaning.

Based on the Wikipedia article Tuscan dialects, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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