Reply #6: I just found this forum,

[Tangerine LaBamba]

so I'm responding to an old post, but, gee, what an interesting place.

As to your question - and the answer you thought you found - I wouldn't say that there's any set rhythm to the Italian language, that it depends on the subject matter and the relationship of the people in the conversation.

I grew up in an Italian-speaking home, learned it before English, as did my father before me, both of us American-born. When I hear the language spoken today, it's like a whole different brain kicks in, and I hear everything differently, not just the Italian.

The rhythm you cited is far too simple. If I were to try to divine a rhythm, I would tell you to look for the hot words in the conversation - such as the noun, the subject matter of the discussion. Say it's an adulterous wife, eh?

You'd find the DUM would show up every time SHE was mentioned.

You'd also find it whenever the cuckolded husband was mentioned. As in, "SHE did this to YOU."

If you're looking for a regular, almost poetic rhythm to the language, boy, I wish you luck. More than anything, it reminds me of Miles Davis, with his back to his audience, just jammin', riffin', playing for the art of it. That's how I hear Italian.

But, what a lovely question.

And now, because I have an infinite capacity for hurting myself, I'm going to watch "Godfather III," because I no longer remember if it sucked as badly as I thought it did when I first saw it..............................