[Corpora-List] R: Esperanto is more similar to Italian than Latin

[Isabella Chiari]

Dear Juliana and Yuri,

as has been already pointed out the similarity of Esperanto and Italian from
the point of view of phonostatistics seems to rely on the smaller use of
case endings in Esperanto than in Latin (totally absent in Italian). The
consequence is a definite difference in syllable structure for syllables in
word final position (while other syllables are similar for all the three
languages, having a slight preference for open syllables). Nouns for example
in Latin can have final consonants and thus closed final syllables
(typically ending in –s, -m), and verbs in –t, which have early disappeared
in Italian, which has only open syllables (ending in vowel) in final
position both for nouns and verbs, and all other parts of speech (except for
prepositions and a number of loan words). Nouns in Esperanto, while
preserving case, generally have vowels in final position, thus open
syllables like Italian. While verbs still show consonant endings (-s).

Another point might be the evolution of consonant clusters. Italian has
reduced the number of consonant clusters present in Latin by regressive
assimilation evolving in a larger number of long consonants. Esperanto on
the other hand tends to avoid long consonants and preserves those latin
clusters that have been subject to assimilation in Italian (like –kt-,
-pt-). This difference does not generally produce any significant variation
in syllable structure. 

Nevertheless, to reply to the original question the parameters used for the
measure of phonostatistical similarity should be made more explicit.

Best regards,

Isabella

 

 

Da: corpora-bounces at uib.no [mailto:corpora-bounces at uib.no] Per conto di
Juliana Tambovtseva
Inviato: venerdì 7 settembre 2007 19.57
A: corpora-request at lists.uib.no
Cc: corpora at uib.no
Oggetto: [Corpora-List] Esperanto is more similar to Italian than Latin

 

Dear Corpora colleagues, from the phonostatistical point of view Esperanto
is more similar to Italian than Latin. Why so? We thought it must be Latin.
Can you explain? Be well, Yuri and Juliana Tambovtseva

 

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