Chapter 5. New parameters for the sociophonetic indexes 153
(15) /-re/ → Ø / _ ] Verb Infinite #
Oxytone infinitives feed the process of RF (see §5.4). Therefore, instead of
sequences such as SI veder(e) bene ‘to see well’, sentir(e) forte ‘to hear distinctly’,
mangiare tanto ‘to eat a lot’, in Tuscany we find the corresponding truncated forms:
Ts c [veˌde ˈbːɛːne] [senˌti ˈfːɔrte], [manˌdʒa ˈtːanto], respectively.
The lexicalization of the oxytone forms is demonstrated by their occurrence in
the prepausal position (e.g., ci vuole andare ‘(s/he) wants to go there’, Tsc [tʃi ˈvɔːle
anˈda]; ti ho detto di uscire Tsc ‘I told you must go out’, Tsc [tɔ ˌdːetːo d uˈʃːi]) as well
as in hiatus (e.g., dover(e) andare ‘to have to go’, Tsc [doˌve anˈda]; far(e) entrare
‘to allow (someone) to in’, Tsc [ˌfa enˈtra]). Furthermore, the lack of /s/ affrication
after the truncated infinitives confirm that these forms belong to the competence
of the Tuscan speakers as such: for instance, aver sentito ‘to have heard’, Tsc [aˌve
sːenˈtiːθo], not [aˌve tːsenˈtiːθo]; esser(e) sinceri ‘to be sincere’, Tsc [ˌɛsːe sːinˈtʃɛːri],
not [ˌɛsːe tsinˈtʃɛːri] (Marotta 2000: 196–197).
- Size (or volume)
The size (or volume)^15 of a sociophonetic variation is the degree of pervasive-
ness of the process in the phonological system. Basically, a great size refers to a
large number of segments involved in the process; on the other hand, a small size
means that only a few segments are involved by the process. In a language variety,
the scope and the potential basin of application of a sociophonetic process can
therefore be very different.
In particular, if we consider the Tuscan phonological processes discussed in
the preceding paragraph with reference to shape, we see that their value of size
can vary in a remarkable manner. Size appears to be particularly large in the case
of RF, because this process applies to every consonant of the phonological inven-
tory by principle. Quite large is also the value of this parameter for gorgia as well
as for apocope, since in both cases the process entails many segments, that is all
the plosives in Florence as well as in the centre of the region (i.e., /p t k b d g/), and
all vocalic segments, respectively.
The other phonological processes under examination, i.e. de-affrication,
s-affrication and l-velarization exhibit a small size, because they are limited to
- If we look at the properties that physics assigns solids, volume is the proper term to use.
However, our metaphor is effective inasmuch as it covers the general way of thinking adopted
by the speakers and the vocabulary used by normal people, rather than the scientific register of
physics. Therefore, we will consistently use size instead of volume.