Editing Venetian language (section)

===Traditional system===
Venetian currently has an [[official script|official writing system]]. Traditionally it is written using the [[Latin script]] — sometimes with certain additional letters or diacritics. The basis for some of these conventions can be traced to Old Venetian, while others are modern innovations.

Medieval texts, written in Old Venetian, include the letters {{angle bracket|x}}, {{angle bracket|ç}} and {{angle bracket|z}} to represent sounds that do not exist or have a different distribution in Italian. Specifically:

* The letter {{angle bracket|x}} was often employed in words that nowadays have a voiced {{IPAslink|z}}-sound (compare English ''xylophone''); for instance {{angle bracket|x}} appears in words such as {{lang|vec|raxon}}, {{lang|vec|Croxe}}, {{lang|vec|caxa}} ("reason", "(holy) Cross" and "house"). The precise phonetic value of {{angle bracket|x}} in Old Venetian texts remains unknown, however.
* The letter {{angle bracket|z}} often appeared in words that nowadays have a varying voiced pronunciation ranging from {{IPAslink|z}} to {{IPAslink|dz}} or {{IPAslink|ð}} or even to {{IPAslink|d}}; even in contemporary spelling {{lang|vec|zo}} "down" may represent any of {{IPA|/zo, dzo, ðo/}} or even {{IPA|/do/}}, depending on the dialect; similarly {{lang|vec|zovena}} "young woman" could be any of {{IPA|/ˈzovena/}}, {{IPA|/ˈdzovena/}} or {{IPA|/ˈðovena/}}, and {{lang|vec|zero}} "zero" could be {{IPA|/ˈzɛro/}}, {{IPA|/ˈdzɛro/}} or {{IPA|/ˈðɛro/}}.
* Likewise, {{angle bracket|ç}} was written for a voiceless sound which now varies, depending on the dialect spoken, from {{IPAslink|s}} to {{IPAslink|ts}} to {{IPAslink|θ}}, as in for example {{lang|vec|dolçe}} "sweet", now {{IPA|/ˈdolse ~ ˈdoltse ~ ˈdolθe/}}, {{lang|vec|dolçeça}} "sweetness", now {{IPA|/dolˈsesa ~ dolˈtsetsa ~ dolˈθeθa/}}, or {{lang|vec|sperança}} "hope", now {{IPA|/speˈransa ~ speˈrantsa ~ speˈranθa/}}.

The usage of letters in medieval and early modern texts was not, however, entirely consistent. In particular, as in other northern Italian languages, the letters {{angle bracket|z}} and {{angle bracket|ç}} were often used interchangeably for both voiced and voiceless sounds. Differences between earlier and modern pronunciation, divergences in pronunciation within the modern Venetian-speaking region, differing attitudes about how closely to model spelling on Italian norms, as well as personal preferences, some of which reflect sub-regional identities, have all hindered the adoption of a single unified spelling system.<ref>Ursini, Flavia (2011). ''Dialetti veneti''. http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/dialetti-veneti_(Enciclopedia-dell'Italiano)/</ref>

Nevertheless, in practice, most spelling conventions are the same as in Italian. In some early modern texts letter {{angle bracket|x}} becomes limited to word-initial position, as in {{lang|vec|xe}} ("is"), where its use was unavoidable because Italian spelling cannot represent {{IPAslink|z}} there. In between vowels, the distinction between {{IPAslink|s}} and {{IPAslink|z}} was ordinarily indicated by doubled {{angle bracket|ss}} for the former and single {{angle bracket|s}} for the latter. For example, {{lang|vec|basa}} was used to represent {{IPA|/ˈbaza/}} ("he/she kisses"), whereas {{lang|vec|bassa}} represented {{IPA|/ˈbasa/}} ("low"). (Before consonants there is no contrast between {{IPAslink|s}} and {{IPAslink|z}}, as in Italian, so a single {{angle bracket|s}} is always used in this circumstance, it being understood that the {{angle bracket|s}} will agree in voicing with the following consonant. For example, {{angle bracket|st}} represents only {{IPA|/st/}}, but {{angle bracket|sn}} represents {{IPA|/zn/}}.)

Traditionally the letter {{angle bracket|z}} was ambiguous, having the same values as in Italian (both voiced and voiceless affricates {{IPAslink|dz}} and {{IPAslink|ts}}). Nevertheless, in some books the two pronunciations are sometimes distinguished (in between vowels at least) by using doubled {{angle bracket|zz}} to indicate {{IPAslink|ts}} (or in some dialects {{IPAslink|θ}}) but a single {{angle bracket|z}} for {{IPAslink|dz}} (or {{IPAslink|ð}}, {{IPAslink|d}}).

In more recent practice the use of {{angle bracket|x}} to represent {{IPAslink|z}}, both in word-initial as well as in intervocalic contexts, has become increasingly common, but no entirely uniform convention has emerged for the representation of the voiced vs. voiceless affricates (or interdental fricatives), although a return to using {{angle bracket|ç}} and {{angle bracket|z}} remains an option under consideration.

Regarding the spelling of the vowel sounds, because in Venetian, as in Italian, there is no contrast between tense and lax vowels in unstressed syllables, the orthographic grave and acute accents can be used to mark both stress and vowel quality at the same time: ''à'' {{IPAslink|a}}, ''á'' {{IPAslink|ɐ}}, ''è'' {{IPAslink|ɛ}}, ''é'' {{IPAslink|e}}, ''í'' {{IPAslink|i}}, ''ò'' {{IPAslink|ɔ}}, ''ó'' {{IPAslink|o}}, ''ú'' {{IPAslink|u}}. Different orthographic norms prescribe slightly different rules for when stressed vowels must be written with accents or may be left unmarked, and no single system has been accepted by all speakers.

Venetian allows the [[consonant cluster]] {{IPA|/stʃ/}} (not present in Italian), which is sometimes written {{angle bracket|s-c}} or {{angle bracket|s'c}} before ''i'' or ''e'', and {{angle bracket|s-ci}} or {{angle bracket|s'ci}} before other vowels. Examples include {{lang|vec|s-ciarir}} (Italian {{lang|it|schiarire}}, "to clear up"), {{lang|vec|s-cèt}} ({{lang|it|schietto}}, "plain clear"), {{lang|vec|s-ciòp}} ({{lang|it|schioppo}}, "gun") and {{lang|vec|s-ciao}} ({{lang|it|schiavo}}, "[your] servant", {{lang|it|ciao}}, "hello", "goodbye"). The hyphen or apostrophe is used because the combination {{angle bracket|sc(i)}} is conventionally used for the {{IPAslink|ʃ}} sound, as in Italian spelling; e.g. {{lang|vec|scèmo}} ({{lang|it|scemo}}, "stupid"); whereas {{angle bracket|sc}} before ''a'', ''o'' and ''u'' represents {{IPA|/sk/}}: {{lang|vec|scàtoła}} ({{lang|it|scatola}}, "box"), {{lang|vec|scóndar}} ({{lang|it|nascondere}}, "to hide"), {{lang|vec|scusàr}} ({{lang|it|scusare}}, "to forgive").