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What does the Romanian language sound like to a foreigner?
My prejudice going in, as someone exposed through Greek linguistics to written Aromanian language (which I know is not quite the same thing):
- Too many diphthongs
- Central vowels? How odd
- It’s Romance, it’s just got some odd sound changes
My prejudice on hearing this:
- Too many diphthongs.
- I can’t hear the Romance at all. I’m sure it’s there, but I can’t pick it up. Apart from the final Bună seara (bona sera!)
- The intonation and phonology does sound Slavicish.
- A lot more nasal than I expected (hence the Portuguese that other respondents are picking up on.)
- They weren’t joking with that –lui suffix.
- Yeah, central vowels. Gives it that Russian tinge.
- Too many diphthongs.
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