syllables, and was later lost in non-final syllables. Evidence of this is found, for example, in the divergent outcome of Vulgar Latin , which becomes in originally closed syllables but in Central Friulian in originally open syllables, including when non-finally. Examples: siet "seven" < Vulgar Latin < Latin , word-final pît "foot" < Vulgar Latin < Latin , non-word-final tivit "tepid, lukewarm" < Vulgar Latin < Latin . An additional source of vowel length is compensatory lengthening before lost consonants in certain circumstances, cf. pâri "father" < Latin , vôli "eye" < Latin , lîre "pound" < Latin . This produces long vowels in non-final syllables, and was apparently a separate, later development than the primary lengthening in open syllables. Note, for example, the development of Vulgar Latin in this context: > > iê , as in piêre "stone" < Latin , differing from the outcome in originally open syllables (see above). Additional complications: Central Friulian has lengthening before /r/ even in originally closed syllables, cf. cjâr /caːr/ "cart" < Latin (homophonous with cjâr "dear (masc. sg.)" < Latin ). This represents a late, secondary development, and some conservative dialects have the expected length distinction here. Lengthening doesn't occur before nasal consonants even in originally open syllables, cf. pan /paŋ/ "bread" < Latin , prin /priŋ/ "first" < Latin . Special developments produced absolutely word-final long vowels and length distinctions, cf. fi "fig" < Latin vs. fî "son" < Latin , no "no" < Latin vs. nô "we" < Latin . Synchronic analyses of vowel length in Friulian often claim that it occurs predictably in final syllables before an underlying voiced obstruent, which is then devoiced. Analyses of this sort have difficulty with long-vowel contrasts that occur non-finally (e.g. pâri "father" mentioned above) or not in front of obstruents (e.g. fi "fig" vs. fî "son", val "valley" vs. vâl "it is worth"). Morphology Friulian is quite different from Italian in its morphology; it is, in many respects, closer to French. Nouns In Friulian as in other Romance languages, nouns are either masculine or feminine (for example, "il mûr" ("the wall", masculine), "la cjadree" ("the chair", feminine). Feminine Most feminine nouns end in -e, which is pronounced, unlike in Standard French: cjase = house (from Latin "casa, -ae" hut) lune = moon (from Latin "luna, -ae") scuele = school (from Latin "schola, -ae") Some feminine nouns, however, end in a consonant,