Sitoveneto™ - portale di lingua e cultura veneta

The alphabet of venetan language (venetian) has the following letters:

A B C D E F G H I J L L M N O P Q R S T U (Û) V X plus the consonant clusters S·C , ZS , ZX

Differently from what usually happens in Italian, some of these letters (or clusters) have two or more different pronunciations: i.e. letters do not always have just one sound. Thus, words can be written in one and the same way for everybody, but everybody can freely read and speak according to the features of its variety. Combining these symbols up to 4-5-different varieties can be summed up into one written form, maitaining alive the local spoken forms of the language.

Np, Nb in ven. are read and therefore written instead of mp , mb (as in old spanish)

conpagnìa (en. company) ; conbàtar (en. to combat/fight)
canbra (en. chamber)
_________________

-o , -e at the end of a word can be pronunced or be mute (as portug. fundo = fundu , fund )

tenpo = / tènpo, tènp / (time) ; gato = / gato, gat / (cat)
mónte = / mónte, mónt / (mountain) ; toco = / toco, toc / (piece, part)
_________________

l , £ is read as a normal "L, l " or as a mute/very short "e "

la bala = / la bàla, a bàea / (ball)
el mola = / el mòla, el mòea / (he drops)
ciàcole = / ciàcoe, ciàcole / (a piece of chat)
_________________

- J , -j is read as a very short "i " or as "gi" (= j in joke)

faméja = / faméia, famégia / (family) ; ojo = / oio, ogio / (oil)
maravejarse = / maraveiarse, maravegiarse / (to be surprised)
_________________

S, s always as in spanish: voiceless but short (as span. pasando = en. passing)
not as italian/english s in "vaso, rose" (which is voiced instead of voiceless)!

se (if) ; paso = / pa-so / ; pasar = / pa-sàr / (to pass)
casa de pere = / ca-sa de pere / (cat); musi = / mu-si / (donkeys)
_________________

ZS, zs a voiceless-short-s above, or as voiceless interdental z, zh, th

zsavate = / zhavate, zavate, savate /
zsoca = / zhoca, zoca, soca /
giazso = / giazho, giaz[o], gia-so, giatho / (ice)

and therefore also:
zsinque = / zinque, sinque, thinque / (five)
zsità = / zità, zhità, sità / (city)
_________________

X, x always voiced-s as ital/ingl. in "rose, case"

xe = / sè / (is/are) ; roxe = / rose / ; vixion = / visión /
caxa demontagna = / casa de montagna / ; muxi = / musi / (faces)
_________________

ZX, zx as x above (= voiced-s in "rose") , or as voiced interdental z

mezxo = / mèzo, mèxo / (half) ; verzxo = / vèrzo , vèrxo / (I open)
zxónta = / zónta, xónta / ; zxente = / zente, xente / (people)
_________________

s·c = s in "sale" + ch in "check"

fis·cio (whistle) ; s·céto
s·cioco ; s·céxa
_________________

Û, û is pronunced as normal "u " or remains mute
it serves only in fe words with double pronunciation like:

qûi = / qui , chì / ha due pronunce ma indica solo "luogo
(infatti: sìtu qûi? = are you here? ; sìtu chi?= who are you?)

qûela là = / quela là , chela là ; quea là , chea là / (that fem.)
qûelo là = / queo là , cheo là ; quelo là , chelo là / (that masc.)
...
_________________

NB: as said above these simple rules, besides representing two different pronunciations with one letter, can also combine with each other representing with one written form words which have four or five different pronunciations: es: zséja = / zéia, séia, zégia, ségia / , zsoco = / zoco, zoc[o] o zhoc, soco /

It is important that the Z never appear alone but always in the clusters "zs, zx" so that:
a) It is clear that this Z never has the italian pronunciation but it is interdental
b) The voiceless interdental /zh, th/ is distinguished from the voiced one /z, dh/ differently form Italian
c) It is clear that they also allow the simplified pronunciations: voiceless /s/ or /x /=voiced-s