Faliscan Language - Phonetic Characteristics

Phonetic Characteristics

Some of the phonetic characteristics of the Faliscan language are:

1. The retention of medial f which in Latin became b (modern Italian often v);
2. The palatalization of d+ consonant i into some sound denoted merely by i- the central sound of foied, from fo-died (Italian usually ggi, as in oggi, although Milano is one case where Italian follows Faliscan);
3. The loss of final s, at least before certain following sounds (cra beside Latin cras), also a feature of Italian;
4. The retention of the labiovelars (Fal. cuando = Latin quando; contrast Umbrian pan(n)u;)
5. The assimilation of some final consonants to the initial sound of the next word: "pretod de zenatuo sententiad" (Conway, lib. cit. 321), i.e. in Latin "praetor de senatus sententia" (zenatuo for senatuos, an archaic genitive).