The determining factors in the formation of the Italian alphabet
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18485/zivjez.2022.42.1.4Keywords:
grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC), Neo-Romance phonemes, Latin alphabet, alphabet reform, orthographyAbstract
This paper describes the main historical factors that have influenced the form of the Italian alphabet as we know it today and the reasons for its persistency in maintaining its incomplete orthographic transparency. The analysis is carried out following a chronological order, i.e., starting from the form of the Latin alphabet and then describing the problem of neo-Romance phonemes and the various graphic solutions of the medieval manuscripts. The paper then moves on to the centuries-long process of language standardization and the question of the literary authorities, which, naturally, also influenced the orthographic choices. A part of the analysis is dedicated to the attempts of reforming the alphabet and the reasons why they were never taken on. The aforementioned elements lead us to the conclusion that the conservatism of the Italian writing is due to the continuous presence of the authority of the Latin heritage, and consequently to the prestige attributed to the Latin forms, which do not allow orthographic innovations and force the language to keep within the confines of the existing alphabet.
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