Lesson 3: Sicilian aticles and prepositions
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Articles
The Sicilian articles divide into two types, definite: lu, la, li, (the) and indefinite nu, na (a, an).
These articles, as the nouns they describe, have a gender, they can be feminine: la (singular), li (plural), and masculine: lu (singular), li (plural). The indefinite nu, masculine, na, feminine, are always singular.
Lu cavàddu the horse
La casa the house
Li cavàddi the horses
Li casi the houses
Un cavàddu a horse
Na fìmmina a woman
For nouns that start with a z or with an s followed by a consonant the form nu of the indefinite article should be used:
Avi nu ziu bonu He has a good uncle
C’era nu scalùni autu There was a tall step
Avìa nu stipu vasciu He had a low cabinet
Si nni purto nu zàinu chinu He took a full knapsack with him
These articles in the spoken language can contract to â for la, î for li. and û for lu:
û cavàddu the horse
â casa the house
î cavàddi the horses
î casi the houses
Prepositions
Prepositions are simple and compound. The simple prepositions are:
a (at), di (of), cu (with), nni (to, by, in), nna (to, by, in), nno (to, by, in) pi (for), nta (in), supra (over), davanti (in front), sutta (under), doppu (after) and more.
These prepositions can also be used with a definite article: a la (to the), di lu (of the), cu la (with the), nni la, etc.:
Vàiu a la casa Igo I go to the house
La casa è di lu frati The house is of the brother
Sugnu cu lu ziu I am with the uncle
Èranu nta la cresia They were in the church
These prepositions, in the spoken language, are often contracted to: â, dû and cû:
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Vàiu â casa I go to the house
La casa è dû frati The house is (belongs)of the brother
Sugnu cû ziu I am with the uncle
Èranu ntâ cresia They were in the church
The plural of these preposition changes somewhat in the contracted mode.
Regular:
Iàmu a li casi We go to the houses
Li casi sunnu di li frati The houses are to the brothers
Èramu cu li zii They were with the uncles
Ieru nni li cresii They went in the churches
Contracted
Iàmu ê casi We go to the houses
Li casi sunnu dî frati The hoses are (belong)of the brothers
Èramu chî zii We were with the uncles
Ièru ntê cresii They went in the churches
Same thing happens with the indefinite article.
Regular:
Ci lu dugnu a un cani I give it to a dog
La curpa era di un frati The fault was of one brother
Lu pulizìa c’un palìcu He cleans it with a tooth-pick
Va sempri nni un cucìnu He goes always to one cousin
Contracted:
Ci lu dugnu ôn cani I give it to a dog
La curpa era dûn frati The fault was of one brother
Lu pulizìa cûn palìcu He cleans it with a tooth-pick
Va sempri nnôn cucìnu He goes always to one cousin
If a preposition is followed by an indefinite article and refers to a feminine noun, it does not make any contractions:
Appartinèva tuttu a na soru Everything belonged to a sister
Tutti li vesti èranu di na fìgghia All the dresses belonged to one daughter
Si sciarriàvanu sulu cu na zia They argued only with an aunt
Chi si pô fari pi na matri? What can one do for a mother?