Castelmezzano dialect
The dialect of Castelmezzano is a Romance breed spoken in Castelmezzano in a Province of Potenza in Italy. It constitutes a dialect of the Neapolitan language that differs from the rest and from neighbouring imported Gallo-Italic varieties in its treatment of Latin back vowels, showing an evolution more reminiscent of Balkan Romance: Latin /ŭ/ merges with /ū/ rather than with /ō/.
Castelmezzano is but the kernel of an Alianello, Gallicchio, Missanello, Armento, Pietrapertosa, Anzi, Campomaggiore, Albano di Lucania, Trivigno, Brindisi di Montagna, Corleto Perticara as well as Guardia Perticara.
This type of vocalism may once form been characteristic of almost of southern Italy and possibly even other areas that now hit southern part of the Lausberg area, while also having an Italo-Western-like treatment of the front vowels merging Latin /ĭ/ with /ē/, as found in other varieties of Neapolitan.