apizza; pie

[Steve Boatti]

Further thoughts from the It-American Historical Assoc. listserv:

From: Suzanne Branciforte <s.branciforte at wind.it.net>


Ciao a tutti!

As for 'a-beetz':  most southern dialects (not just Neapolitan, but also

Sicilian) drop the L in the article LA (or the U in UNA, like in Che

bella cosa, 'na iurnata sole) and then truncate final vowels.  The

heavier labial consonants make the P sound like B, a-beetz for la pizza,

broshjut for prosciutto, and so on.


I couldn't resist getting into this discussion; my piece "The Day Anna

Stopped Making a-Beetz" is coming out in the volume *The Milk of

Almonds* (New York: Feminist Press, 2002, Edvige Giunta and Louise De

Salvo eds.).


Saluti,

Suzanne Branciforte



----- End forwarded message -----

Steve Boatti