Lombard/Elision

The reference orthography for this page of Lombard course is New Lombard orthography

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 nebia (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).