Understanding the rich linguistic diversity of Italy
Italy has distinct regional differences in cuisines and
traditions, but it is also one of the richest countries in the world
in terms of the linguistic diversity that exists throughout its
regions. Despite frequent media reports suggesting the imminent
death of many regional dialects in Italy, this linguistic diversity
persists today.
A brief history of Italian dialects
Italian dialects differ widely in terms of pronunciation, syntax,
grammar and vocabulary. Their development was encouraged by the lack
of a unified nation, a history of invasion, and the introduction of
other cultures and languages into Italian regions. Gradually, the
central location of Florence and the use of Florentine by Dante,
Boccaccio and other rising literary stars led to its adoption as
standard Italian.
The question of what is a dialect and what is a language
continues to trouble scholars. The differences between standard
Italian and Italian dialects are so great they could be considered
different languages. Indeed, the linguist Max Weinreich quipped that
a language is simply a dialect with an army and a navy. The example
below suggests that these days it may benefit from a TV network too!
Listen to examples of regional dialects
You can hear many of these dialects in the
commercials produced by RAI, the national television network, to
celebrate 150 years of unification. In these adverts, Italians speak
to each other using Italian dialects, with mutual incomprehension
ensuing. The message RAI wished to communicate was its own central
role in unifying and disseminating the use of standard Italian.
There are, however, still many people who use dialects in Italy.
In this brief
overview of Italian dialects you can hear how dialects vary as
the same sentence is repeated in standard Italian and a number of
dialects.
North and south
Although dialects exist across all regions, one main difference
is between northern and southern Italy. The dialects of the north
have been influenced by nearby countries to the north of Italy, such
as France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Those of the south have
been shaped by contact with countries to the south of Italy, such as
Spain, Greece, Albania and Libya.
Some major Italian dialects
The number of dialects that exist really depends on how we define
them. By some standards, Italy may be divided into 14 different
regional dialects; by others, there is one for every city in Italy.
Some main dialects include:
- Emiliano-Romagnolo and Piemontese, which are used by two and
three million people respectively in north-west Italy
- Neapolitan, which is used by seven million people in
southern Italy and has been declared a language by the regional
government of Campania
- Sardo, which is spoken by one million people living in
Sardinia
- Veneto, which has 7 million users from the Venetian diaspora
worldwide.
Learn Italian
The Italian language is fascinating, and schools such as
UIC Languages can offer you the chance to
learn Italian in Bristol or other major UK cities and find out
more about the Italian language and its dialects.
