Lombard/Elision

__TOC__ 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 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 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) a weak subject personal pronoun of the 3rd person singular is followed by a word starting with a vowel (or an <h>). 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 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 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 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 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 nebiabecause the "l" of "fioeul" is not pronounced in Pavese dialect (in English: Son/boy of the fog) Ti at see → Ti 't see (in English: You are) Note Syncope Syncope is the dropping of a vowel or syllable within a word. Never leave a space either before or after the apostrophe. Standards 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).