Il Language contact in the stressed vowel system of the Northern Salentino dialect ofFrancavilla Fontana

Abstract

Traditionally, the Northern Salento variety spoken in Francavilla Fontana (Italy) has been classified within the so-called Randgebiet, whose stressed vowel system is postulated to have emerged through contact between five- and seven-vowel systems. While providing further evidence for such contact, this paper shows that its development in Francavilla followed a highly distinctive trajectory. Notably, Francavillese exhibits unexpected reflexes of the front vowels. This prompts a reassessment of the conventional view that Salentino varieties lack close mid vowels, further confirming the internal heterogeneity of this marginal area. Ultimately, by advancing a new model for the Northern Salento vowel system, this study underscores the pivotal role of language contact between Southern Italian and Extreme Southern Italo-Romance dialects in the development of the Randgebiet vowel system.