Castelmezzano dialect

The dialect of Castelmezzano is a Romance variety spoken in Castelmezzano in the Province of Potenza in Italy. It constitutes a dialect of the Neapolitan language that differs from the rest (and from neighbouring imported Gallo-Italic varieties) in its treatment of Latin back vowels, showing an evolution more reminiscent of Eastern Romance: Latin /ŭ/ merges with /ū/ rather than with /ō/.

Castelmezzano is but the kernel of an area, dubbed the Vorposten (German for 'outpost') by Lausberg, which shares the same vowel development. It includes Castronuovo di Sant'Andrea, Sant'Arcangelo, Roccanova, San Martino d'Agri, Aliano (and Alianello), Gallicchio, Missanello, Armento, Pietrapertosa, Anzi, Campomaggiore, Albano di Lucania, Trivigno, Brindisi di Montagna, Corleto Perticara and Guardia Perticara.

This type of vocalism may once have been characteristic of most of southern Italy and possibly even other areas that now have Italo-Western vowel outcomes.^[1] It can be viewed as a compromise, in that it has a Sardinian-like treatment of the back vowels, as is also observed in the southern part of the Lausberg area, while also having an Italo-Western-like treatment of the front vowels (merging Latin /ĭ/ with /ē/), as found in other varieties of Neapolitan.

Comparison of vowel changes

A comparison of vowel changes shows only limited relatability of the languages and the dialect yet Dalmatian sound changes may sometimes differ from the usual phonological development that can be ascertained.

References

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Languages of Italy

Historical linguistic minorities: Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, French, Franco-Provençal, Friulian, Germanic, Greek, Ladin, Occitan, Romani, Sardinian, Slovene, Wenzhounese

Italo-Romance	Italian Regional Italian Tuscan Florentine Central Central-Northern Latian Marchigiano Romanesco Sabino Intermediate Southern (Neapolitan) Beneventano Barese Castelmezzanese Cilentan Cosentino Irpinian Arianese Molisan Southern Latian Tarantino Vastese Extreme Southern Central-Southern Calabrian Salentino Manduriano Sicilian Pantesco Other Italo-Dalmatian languages Corsican Gallurese Sassarese
Sardinian	Sardinian Campidanese Logudorese
Occitano-Romance	Catalan Algherese Occitan Vivaro-Alpine Mentonasc Niçard
Gallo-Romance	French Aostan Franco-Provençal Valdôtain Faetar Cellese
Gallo-Italic	Ligurian Brigasc Genoese Intemelio Monégasque Royasc Tabarchino Lombard Western Lombard Brianzöö dialects Canzés Bustocco and Legnanese Comasco-Lecchese dialects Comasco Laghée Vallassinese Lecchese Milanese Ticinese Ossolano Varesino Southwestern Lombard Pavese Novarese Cremunés Spasell Eastern Lombard Bergamasque Emilian–Romagnol Emilian Bolognese Parmigiano Romagnol Forlivese Other Gallo-Italic languages Gallo-Italic of Basilicata Gallo-Italic of Sicily Judeo-Italian Judaeo-Piedmontese Piedmontese
Venetian[a]	Venetian Fiuman Triestine
Rhaeto-Romance	Rhaeto-Romance Friulian Ladin Cadorino Fornes Nones

Albanian	Arbëresh language Arbëresh Vaccarizzo Albanian
South Slavic	Slovenian Brda Gail Valley Inner Carniolan Istrian Karst Natisone Valley Resian Torre Valley Serbo-Croatian Croatian Montenegrin Slavomolisano Triestine Serbian
Greek	Italiot Greek Calabrian Greek Griko
German	Bavarian Cimbrian Mòcheno Southern Bavarian South Tyrolean Other German dialects Austrian German Walser Yiddish
Others	Hebrew Italian Hebrew Italian Sign Language Romani Sinte Romani Wenzhounese

1. ^ Venetian is either grouped with the rest of the Italo-Dalmatian or the Gallo-Italic languages, depending on the linguist.

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