Of Pronounciation.
The Italian tongue is pronounced as it is written, and written as it is pronounced: No letter of it is lost or altered but G. & that chiefly when N. followeth the same, as in these wordes. Ingégno, Mágno, Pégno, Ségno, Sdégno, &c. which then is pronounced much like the English word Onion, as if an I. were included between the N. and the vowell following: It is likewise somwhat lost when Li. followes it, as in these, and infinite other wordes, Fíglio, Móglie, Quégli, Tógliere, and then it is pronounced as the Welchmen and Spaniards pronounce their double Ll. in Lloid, and Quéllo, or as the French men doe their double Ll. after an I. as in their words Fille, Estrille, Merueille, &c. except in the word Negligénza, where it is pronounced as in the Latine, or in this English word Gleeke.
Note that C. before A. O. and V. is euer pronounced as K. in English: which the Italians neuer vse, as in these wordes. Cása, Cásta, Cóllo, Cósa, Cúlla, Custóde, &c. Whereas before E. and I. it is euer pronounced as Ch in English, as in these wordes, Celẻste, Cẻlebre, Cíbo, Cínto, as you doe in these English wordes, Cheape, Cheries, Children, Cheese, and such.
Note that whensoeuer C. is double before A. O. and V. it is euer pronounced as double K. in English, as Accasáre, Accadére, Accomodáre, Accostáre, Accumuláre, Accusáre, &c. whereas if it come double before E. and I. as in these wordes Eccẻdere, Eccellẻnte, Accióche, Vccídere, Vccisióne, you must pronounce the first C. as a T. as if they were written, Etcẻdere, Etcellẻnte, Atcióche, Vtcídere, Vtcisióne, &c.
Note that Ch. is at all times, and in all Italian wordes pronounced as the letter K. in English, as in these wordes, Chè, Chénte, Chì, Chiúnque, euen as you doe in these English wordes, Kettle, Kent, Keeper, Kindred, &c.
Note that the rule giuen for C. may also serue for the letter G. for before A. O. and V. it is pronounced as in English, as Gámba, Góndola, Gúglia, &c. as Gad, God, Good: whereas before E. and I. it is pronounced as the I. being a consonant in English wordes, as Gentíle, Ginócchio, &c. and Ghe. in Italian is pronounced as Gue. or Gui. in English, as Ghermíre, Ghirlánda, as in these wordes, Gealding, Guilt, &c. and if G. be double before A. O. and V. pronounce it as you doe in English, but being double before E. or I. as in these wordes, Lẻggere, Leggiéro, Lóggia, Loggiáre. You must pronounce the first G. as it were a D. euen as you doe in these English wordes, Hedge, Pledge, Dredge, Madge, Lodge, Drudge, &c.
For so much as the Italians haue two very different sounds for the two vowels, E. and O. which for distinctions sake, they name the one close and the other open, and that I neuer yet saw booke printed with their differences but one, which was the Familiar letters of that learned man Claudio Tolomẻi, and that no rule hath yet beene giuen in so many of their tedious Grammars for the helpe of the learner, or for the right vse of them; to ease him, and teach him to avoide the many errors that diuers commit (namely my countrey men the English) in not giuing them their right sounds, I haue thought it most convenient to say something of them.
Note then that throughout all my Dictionarie I haue caused two seuerall E. and two different O. to be cast and vsed, whereby the reader and learner may assuredly know how to pronounce them right, and giue them their proper and due sounds.
The close E. hath euer this forme, e. and is pronouced as the English E. or Ea. as in these wordes, Bell, Beane, Den, Deane, Fell, Flea, Meade, Quell, Sell, Tell, &c. and the open E. hath this forme ẻ which is euer pronounced as Ai. in English, as in these words Baile, Baine, Daine, Faile, Flaile, Maide, Quaile, Saile, Taile, &c.
The close E. is seene in these Italian wordes, Béne, Béuere, Sedére, Tenére, Vedére, and infinite others, and the open E. in these, Bẻllo, Bẻstia, Sẻlla, Sẻdia, Tẻsta, Tẻrra, Vẻrro, Vẻste, &c.
So likewise to the close O. I haue throughout my booke giuen this oualle forme O. and to the open this round forme O. The first, close or oualle is euer pronounced as the English single V. in these wordes, Bun, Dug, Flud, Gud, Rud, Stun, Tun, &c. whereas the other round or open is euer pronounced as our O. in these wordes, Bone, Dog, Flow, God, Rod, Stone, Tone, &c. as for example in these Italian wordes, Io honóro il mío Dío cón ógni diuotióne, where euery O. is close and oualle. And in these, lúi mi vuóle tórre la mia tórre; or else, lúi mi hà rósa la mia rósa: where Tórre with an open or round O. is a verbe and signifieth to take, and tórre with a close or oualle O. is a noune substantiue, and signifieth a tower; and Rósa with an oualle and close O. is a participle of the verbe Ródere, and signifieth Gnawne or Nibled, and Rósa with a round or open O. is a noune substantiue, and signifieth the floure that we call a Rose.
I could with many amplifications insist vpon these two letters, but because I desire to shunne prolixity, and addresse mine endeauours to reasonable creatures, and no Critikes, I thinke this sufficient, & for a triall referre them to my Dictionarie, where they may perceiue euery word truly accented, which was yet neuer seen in any printed booke of what language soeuer, and which was only done for her sacred Maiestie, whom alone next to God I desire to serue and satisfie, which if shee be, I haue my desire, I aime no further, and care not for the vulgar.
Note that I. is neuer consonant in the Italian tongue, but euer a vowell, and is commonly pronounced as double Ee. in English, as in these words, Biánco, Gridáre, Gíro, Líbro, Mirácolo, Nído, Siréna, Tíro, Vilúppo, &c. as you doe in these English words, Bee, Creeke, Greene, Lee, Neede, Meede, Queene, Seene, Speede, Reede, Seede, Tree, Weede, &c.
Note that Sce, and Sci, as in these Italian wordes Scẻmpio, Sceleráto, Scilinguáto, Scimoníto, &c. are euer pronounced as you doe Sh. in these English words, Shame, Shent, Sheepe, Ship, &c.
Note that V. in the beginning, and sometimes in the middle of words, namely another vowell following the same, is euen a consonant, as in Vário, Vedére, Veníre, Antiuedére, Preueníre, &c. but being a vowell, as in these words, Cúra, Furóre, Manducáre, Natúra, Púto, Rúta, &c. it is commonly pronounced as double Oo. in English, as in these words, Foode, Moode, Good, Moote, Roode, Stoode, Wood, &c.
Note that the coniunction copulatiue Et. Ed. or E. comming before a vowell it ought to be pronounced Et. or Ed. as for example, António, ẻt Andrẻa, ẻt ío siámo trè, or else, António, ẻd Andrẻa ẻd io siámo trè. whereof the latter is the most elegant. Whereas before consonants it ought to be pronounced but as single open E. as for example, Io, ẻ tù, ẻ lui, ẻ tútti gli áltri nón facciámo chè vn córpo, except sometimes in verse by Poẻtica Licẻnza, which among Italians is very great.
Note that when two Zz. come together betweene two vowels, as in these words, Bẻllézza, Cẻrtézza, Grandézza, Fortézza, &c. you ought to pronounce the first Z. as a T. as if they were written Bẻllétza, Cẻrtétza, Fortétza, Grandétza, &c. except in these words, Mẻzzáno, Mẻzzo, Lẻzzo, Rẻzzo, Rózzo, and some few others, where the first Z. is pronounced as a D. as if they were written, Mẻdzáno, Mẻdzo, Lẻdzo, Rẻdzo, Ródzo, &c. all which words were better written and printed with a single Z. then with a double.
Note also that when Z. commeth betweene a vowell and a consonant, as in these words, Ammorzáre, Fórza, Scórza, Sénza, &c. you ought to pronounce the same Z. as if a T. did goe before it, as if they were written, Ammortzáre, Fórtza, Scórtza, Séntza, &c.
Thus much I thinke sufficient for the pronunciation.