The specificity of the Italo-Albanian phonetics

Abstract

The article analyses the phonetic features of the Arbëresh language used by Albanian communities in southern Italy and their connections with the broader Mediterranean and Balkan areas. The aim of the study is to determine which phonetic phenomena may be regarded as Balkanisms and which derive from a common Mediterranean heritage. The author employed a comparative method encompassing Italian, Albanian, Greek, and South Slavic dialects. The analysis demonstrates that most characteristic phonetic features of Arbëresh are connected more closely with the Mediterranean area than with the classical Balkan linguistic league. The most important features include the occurrence of clusters of the type “nasal sonorant + stop,” the reduction of unstressed vowels, and specific phonotactic and allophonic processes. The author also points to the presence of phenomena shared by Albanian, Greek, Aromanian, and certain Italian dialects. The conclusions emphasise that phonetic connections among Balkan languages are more limited than has often been assumed, whereas Mediterranean similarities are of greater significance.