When people think of Italian, they often imagine a single unified language but the reality is far more complex and interesting. Italy is home to dozens of regional dialects that are in fact languages in their own right.
These ‘dialects’ carry layers of history, migration and cultural identity.
Here are ten surprising facts about Italian ‘dialects’
1. Italian dialects are older than standard Italian
Most dialects evolved directly from Latin long before a national language existed.
2. Dialects emerged after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin began to erode as the main language. With constant invasions and the collapse of centralised authority, communities became isolated and turned inward. Each region adapted Latin in its own way, gradually transforming it into the local dialects we know today.
3. Modern Italian is based on the Florentine dialect
When Italy unified in 1861, the new nation needed a common language that could express an Italian cultural heartbeat. The Florentine Tuscan dialect was chosen because it was tied to Italy’s literary identity through the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio.
4. Dialects are not the language of the ‘uneducated’
Throughout the 20th century, schools and institutions pushed standard Italian. Speaking a dialect was looked down upon and associated with being “uneducated”. Many families stopped passing dialects on to their children.
5. There are no ‘true’ regional dialects
A regional dialect such as Abruzzese or Ligurian does not exist because dialects are spoken at a local level. Abruzzo alone has dozens of micro-dialects, each with its own sounds and vocabulary. A village just a few kilometres away may speak differently reflecting centuries of isolation, trade patterns and foreign influence.
6. Foreign powers left linguistic marks
Dialects carry the markers of past rulers and migrations such as the Spanish in Naples and Sicily, the French in Piedmont, Arabic in Sicily, Greek in Calabria and Puglia and German in the Alps.
7. Dialects evolve and have influenced standard Italian
Dialects are not fixed or ‘pure’. Like all languages they change, adapt and innovate over time. Many everyday Italian words actually come from dialects such as pizza (Neapolitan), ciao (Venetian origin from ‘s’ciavo’) and mafia (northern origin).
8. Dialects are experiencing a revival
Today, younger generations are rediscovering dialects through music, theatre, and social media. What was once hidden or frowned upon is now celebrated as cultural heritage. Over a third of the Italian population aged six years or over use both Italian and dialect at home.
9. Dialects are protected under the Italian Constitution
Article 6 of the Italian Constitution safeguards linguistic minorities, recognising the cultural value of Italy’s many languages.
10. Southern Italians are more likely to speak a dialect
Around 7.5 million people in Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Apulia, Molise and parts of Lazio, Marche and Umbria speak a dialect. Sicilian is the second most widely spoken dialect, with about five million speakers.
Source:
This article draws on material from the excellent Dialetti in Italia, a six-week self paced course offered by the University of Naples Federico II on the Edx online learning platform. This course is available free of charge with an optional certificate upgrade.
