Italy 12

Listen to Italy 12, a 55-year-old man from Sicily, Italy, who has also lived in California, United States. Click or tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear the subject.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

AGE: 55

DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YYYY): 10/14/1955

PLACE OF BIRTH: Porto Empedocles, Sicily, Italy

GENDER: male

ETHNICITY: Italian/Sicilian/Caucasian

OCCUPATION: chef

EDUCATION: high school

AREA(S) OF RESIDENCE OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE REGION FOR LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS:

The subject was born in and raised in Porto Empedocles but at the age of 17 moved to North Beach in San Francisco, California, United States.

OTHER INFLUENCES ON SPEECH:

When the subject came to North Beach, also know as “little Italy,” he was immersed with other Italians from different places. They learned English together and formed a community; therefore, subject speaks a semi-standard version of an Italian accent.  The Sicilian accent, including that of this subject, is known for having more of sing-song, colorful feel to it.

The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here.

RECORDED BY: Grace Murphy (under supervision of David Nevell)

DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 24/11/2009

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF SCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH:

But I used to like … I used to love when, uh, you and, uh, V.J. used to be 1-year-old at the park. I, uh, actually we just saw pictures and movies of you and Frankie, you and V.J. in this backyard takin, uh, with the little pool and playing around, it was so cute. Is amazing.  [unclear] Used to love how you used to V.J., used to do anything for you.  You used to scream for something and he would just go get it for you.  He, he used to make you, make you quiet down real quick. No like we went to the park one time and somebody took something from you like a ball or something and you start screaming and Frankie went to the, uh, I saw it on the V.J.,  went to the kid and took the ball out, out of his hands and give it back to you. ‘Cause you used to follow him all the time.  And it used to be so cute.

TRANSCRIBED BY: Grace Murphy (under supervision of David Nevell)

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): 24/11/2009

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY: N/A

COMMENTARY BY: N/A

DATE OF COMMENTARY (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

The archive provides:

• Recordings of accent/dialect speakers from the region you select.
• Text of the speakers’ biographical details.
• Scholarly commentary and analysis in some cases.
• In most cases, an orthographic transcription of the speakers’ unscripted speech.  In a small number of cases, you will also find a narrow phonetic transcription of the sample (see Phonetic Transcriptions for a complete list).  The recordings average four minutes in length and feature both the reading of one of two standard passages, and some unscripted speech. The two passages are Comma Gets a Cure (currently our standard passage) and The Rainbow Passage (used in our earliest recordings).

 

For instructional materials or coaching in the accents and dialects represented here, please go to Other Dialect Services.