In Italian linguistics, what is the term for the phonetic lengthening of an initial consonant after certain vowels, typical of standard central/southern Italian (e.g., 'a casa' pronounced [ak'ka:sa])?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Syntactic gemination
- Step 1: Raddoppiamento fonosintattico doubles the initial consonant of a word following a strong monosyllable or oxytone word in standard Italian phonology. Answer: Syntactic gemination. Why not the others: Anaptyxis inserts a vowel between consonants, synizesis merges vowels into one syllable, and epenthesis inserts a sound internally.
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