parmeZHAN and de/not voicing final vowel

[Frank Abate]

(Beth) Simon said:

>>
Not that I admit to actually renting _The Sopranos_, but pretty clearly
they've been voicecoached to, among other things, not voice the final vowel
on words such as parmegiano and prosciutto.
<<

The non-voicing of the final vowel in these words fits a pattern I have
noticed among New Haven, CT, folks of Italian heritage (yes, the same people
who say "ah-BEETS" for apizza, and who actually put "apizza" on signs for
pizza parlors).

In the New Haven area, ricotta is "ri-GOT" and mozzarella is "MOOTS-a-rel".
There may be others like this, but I can't recall just now.

As a person of half-Italian (well, Sicilian) heritage, but from Michigan,
these struck me as very odd when I first heard them.  They are the regular
prons around New Haven, though.  Even non-Italians say them this way, as
when asking for something at a deli or on a(n) (a)pizza.

Larry H or Alice F, please back me up on this, or people might think I'm
making this up.

Frank Abate


PS: Beth S, I apologize for the pun at the top, but I couldn't resist.