Gli esiti della geminata latina -LL- nella varietà francoprovenzale pugliese di Faeto

This study examines the phonetic developments of the Latin geminate -LL- in the Francoprovençal dialect of Faeto, a minority language community located in northern Apulia and investigates the influence of neighboring Apulian dialects. We will focus on the phonetic outcomes of the geminate -LL-, comparing the Faeto variety with other southern Italo-Romance and French Francoprovençal varieties by spectro-acoustic analysis of target words. Results show that the Latin geminate -LL- in Faeto Francoprovençal frequently undergoes palatalization, evolving into [j], as in pelle → [ˈpeːjə] ‘skin’. This phenomenon appears to be conditioned by specific phonological and morphological contexts, occurring more frequently in postonic syllables or word-final positions. Morphological alternations, such as the use of diminutive suffixes, reveal further regularities in the palatalization or retention of the geminate. The findings suggest that the Francoprovençal spoken in Faeto retains a conservative character, resisting external influences and distinguishing itself from surrounding dialects