
Italy Tuscan Dialects
The Tuscan dialects have a more conservative character than the other dialects of the peninsula. In particular, the Florentine could be said to be the most faithful and pure heir of Latin. The most salient positive trait common to all these dialects together is the development of - rj - in -j- in front of - r - of the remaining part of Italy (tosc. Bujo , aja in front of buro , ara of the other dialects: v. cart.); the most important negative trait is the lack of metaphones. Also given (which is possible, but not demonstrable) that the diphthongs of e and o ( slight , good , etc.) - which constitute another distinctive character of the Tuscan - originated from a thrust due to - u and - the endings and extended to the other forms by leveling, it always remains that no trace is left of the metaphonesis for sure documentable. On the other hand, this diphthongization…