Utenti:Michiluzzu Scalisi/English/Consonant Assimilation

Consonantic Assimilation

Consonant Assimilation in the Unified Sicilian Language is a term used to describe the tendency of two, or more, consonants to be reduced to a double consonant of the same consonantic value. The assimilation is highly diffused and is an important and unique characteristic of the Unified Sicilian Language.

Consonantic assimilation that takes place within a word are written to show the assimilation, therefore there can be no confusion with respect to the pronunciation. However, this also takes place between two words, when the final letter of the first word and the initial letter of the second word are assimilated. This type of assimilation is not written, and therefore the reader must be able to recognize it and pronounce it correctly.

It's also important to be aware of this rule when considering the Sicilianization of foreign words, because foreign words must also adapt themselves to the Unified Sicilian Language and respect its phonetic rules.

The consonantic combinations that assimilate to one another, described in the page above, are nv, nd, mb, and nb, which become mm, nn, mm, and mm.

Before	<	After
nv	<	mm
nd	<	nn
mb	<	mm
nb	<	mm

These changes are written when they take place within a word, therefore there will be no question as to the pronunciation:

Word	Pronunciation	Etymology	Significato italiano	Meaning in English
ammiari	/ɐmmɪ'aɾɪ/	Lat. inviare	inviare	to send
cunnúciri	/kʊn'nuʃɪɾɪ/	Lat. conducěre	condurre	to lead
cummáttiri	/kʊm'mattɪɾɪ/	Lat. combattuěre	combattere	to combat, fight

These changes also take place between two words. However, in this case they are not written and therefore one must recognize this rule:

Example	Pronunciation	Significato italiano	Meaning in English
nun vogghiu	/num 'mɔɣɣjʊ/	non voglio	I don't want
nun dormu	/nun 'nɔɾmʊ/	non dormo	I don't sleep
nun babbíu	/num mɐb'biʊ/	non scherzo	I'm not joking