Languages of Italy

"Dialects of Italy" redirects here. For dialects of the Italian language, see Italian dialects.

Languages of Italy
Languages of Italy by groups
Official language(s)	Italian
Regional language(s)	see "legal status"
Minority language(s)	see "legal status"
Main immigrant language(s)	Romanian, Berber, Maghrebi Arabic, Albanian
Main foreign language(s)	English (29%) French (14%) Other regional language (6%)
Sign language(s)	Italian Sign Language
Common keyboard layout(s)	Italian QWERTY
Source	ebs_243_en.pdf

The main language of Italy is Italian (a recent proposal aims to declare it the official language), a descendant of the Tuscan dialect and a direct descendant of Latin, but several regional languages are also spoken to varying degrees. Other non-indigenous languages are spoken by a substantial percentage of the population due to immigration.

History of the Italian language

Main article: Italian_language#History

The Tuscan dialect (or Florentine language) spoken in Tuscany was promoted as the standard due to the socio-economic power associated with Florence as well as its literary heritage (Dante's Divine Comedy is often credited with the emergence of the Tuscan dialect as a standard). Pietro Bembo, a Venetian influenced by Petrarch, also promoted Tuscan as the standard literary language (volgare illustre). The spread of the printing press and literary movements (such as petrarchism and bembism) also furthered Italian standardization.

When Italy was unified in 1861, Italian existed mainly as a literary language. Many Romance regional languages were spoken throughout the Italian Peninsula (Italian dialects), each with local variants. Following Italian unification Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio, one of Cavour's ministers, is said to have stated that having created Italy, all that remained was to create Italians (a national identity).

The establishment of a national education system led to a decrease in variation in the languages spoken across the country. Standardization was further expanded in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to economic growth and the rise of mass media and television (the state broadcaster RAI helped set an Italian standard).

Legal status

Languages and dialects of Italy

Recognition at the European level

Italy is a signatory of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, but is yet to ratify the treaty, and therefore its provisions protecting regional languages do not apply in the country.

The Charter does not, however, establish at what point differences in expression result in a separate language, deeming it an "often controversial issue", and citing the necessity to take into account, other than purely linguistic criteria, also "psychological, sociological and political considerations".

Recognition by the Italian state

Law no. 482 of 15 December 1999, recognises the following minority languages: Albanian, Catalan, German, Greek, Slovene, Croatian, French, Franco-Provençal, Friulian, Ladin, Occitan, Sardinian (Legge 15 Dicembre 1999, n. 482, Art. 2, comma 1). The law also makes a distinction between those who are considered minority groups (Albanians, Catalans, Germanic peoples indigenous to Italy ("popolazioni germaniche"), Greeks, Slovenes and Croats) and those who are not (all the others).

Recognition by the regions

• Aosta Valley: French is co-official (enjoying the same dignity and standing of Italian) in the whole region (Le Statut spécial de la Vallée d'Aoste, Title VIe, Article 38); German is unofficial but recognised in the Lys Valley (Lystal) (Le Statut spécial de la Vallée d'Aoste, Title VIe, Art. 40 - bis).
• Campania: the Neapolitan language is "promoted", but not recognised, by the region (Reg. Gen. nn. 159/I 198/I, Art. 1, comma 4).
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia: the Friulian and Slovene language are "promoted", but not recognised, by the region (Legge regionale 18 dicembre 2007, n. 29, Art. 1, comma 1); (Legge regionale 16 novembre 2007, n. 26, Art. 16).
• Piedmont: the Piedmontese language is unofficial but recognised as the regional language (Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte, Ordine del Giorno n. 1118, Presentato il 30/11/1999); the region "promotes", without recognising, the Occitan, Franco-Provençal and Walser languages (Legge regionale 10 aprile 1990, n. 26, Art. 3, comma 1 bis).
• Sardinia: Sardinian is co-official (enjoying the same dignity and standing of Italian) in the whole region (Legge Regionale 15 ottobre 1997, n. 26, Titolo I, Art. 2, comma 1); Catalan is co-official in the city of Alghero (Legge Regionale 15 ottobre 1997, n. 26, Art. 2, comma 4), Tabarchino in the islands of Sulcis, the Sassarese and Gallurese dialects in their respective territories (Legge Regionale 15 ottobre 1997, n. 26, Art. 2, comma 4).
• Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol: German is co-official (enjoying the same dignity and standing of Italian) in the whole region (Statuto speciale per il Trentino-Alto Adige, Titolo XI, Articolo 99); Ladin, Cimbrian and Mocheno are unofficial but recognised in their respective territories (Statuto speciale per il Trentino-Alto Adige, Titolo XI, Articolo 102).
• Veneto: the Venetian language is unofficial but recognised (Legge regionale 13 aprile 2007, n. 8, Art. 2, comma 2).

Conservation status

According to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, there are 31 endangered languages in Italy. The degree of endangerment is classified in different categories ranging from 'safe' (safe languages are not included in the atlas) to 'extinct' (when there are no speakers left).

The source for the languages' distribution is the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger unless otherwise stated, and refers to Italy exclusively.

Vulnerable

• Alemannic: spoken in parts of the Aosta Valley, northern Piedmont
• Bavarian: South Tyrol
• Sicilian: Sicily, southern and central Calabria and southern Apulia
• South Italian or Neapolitan: Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise, northern Calabria, northern and central Apulia, southern Lazio and Marche as well as easternmost Umbria
• Venetian: Veneto, parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Definitely endangered

• Algherese Catalan: the town of Alghero in northwestern Sardinia; an outlying dialect of Catalan language not listed separately by the SIL
• Alpine Provençal: the upper valleys of Piedmont (Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Val d’Esturo, Entraigas, Limoun, Vinai, Pinerolo, Sestrieres); the original joint ISO code [prv] for Alpine Provençal and Provençal has been retired on false grounds
• Arbëresh: (i) Adriatic zone: Montecilfone, Campomarino, Portocannone and Ururi in Molise as well as Chieuti and Casalvecchio di Puglia in Apulia; (ii) San Marzano in Apulia; (iii) Greci in Campania; (iv) northern Basilicata: Barile, Ginestra and Maschito; (v) North Calabrian zone: ca. 30 settlements in northern Calabria (Plataci, Civita, Frascineto, San Demetrio Corone, Lungro, Acquaformosa etc.) as well as San Costantino Albanese and San Paolo Lucano in southern Basilicata; (vi) settlements in southern Calabria, e.g. San Nicola dell'Alto and Vena di Maida; (vii) Sicilian zone: Piana degli Albanesi and two nearby villages near Palermo; (viii) formerly also Villabadessa in Abruzzi; an outlying dialect of Albanian
• Campidanese Sardinian: southern Sardinia
• Cimbrian: vigorously spoken in Luserna in Trentino; disappearing in Giazza (part of the commune Selva di Progno) in the Province of Verona and in Roana in the Province of Vicenza; recently extinct in several other locations in the region; an outlying dialect of Bavarian
• Corsican: spoken on Maddalena Island off the northeast coast of Sardinia
• Emilian-Romagnol: Emilia-Romagna, parts of the provinces of Pavia, Voghera, and Mantua in southern Lombardy, the Lunigiana district in northwestern Tuscany, the Province of Pesaro-Urbino in the Marche, and in a zone called Traspadana Ferrarese in the Province of Rovigo in Veneto
• Faetar: Faeto and Celle San Vito in the Province of Foggia in Apulia; an outlying dialect of Francoprovençal not listed separately by the SIL
• Francoprovençal: the Alpine valleys to the north and east of the Susa Valley in Piedmont; disappeared in France and Switzerland
• Friulian: Friuli-Venezia Giulia except the Province of Trieste and western and eastern border regions, and Portogruaro area in the Province of Venice in Veneto
• Gallo-Italic of Sicily: Nicosia, Sperlinga, Piazza Armerina, Valguarnera Caropepe and Aidone in the province of Enna, and San Fratello, Acquedolci, San Piero Patti, Montalbano Elicona, Novara di Sicilia and Fondachelli-Fantina in the province of Messina; an outlying dialect of Lombard not listed separately by the SIL; other dialects were formerly also spoken in southern Italy outside Sicily, especially in Basilicata
• Gallurese: northeastern Sardinia; an outlying dialect of Corsican
• Ladin: several towns and villages in the Dolomites, including Badia and Mareo in the Val Badia and Urtijëi in the Gardena Valley in South Tyrol, Fassa in the Fascia Valley in Trentino, and Livinallongo in the Cordevole valley in the Province of Belluno
• Ligurian: Liguria and adjacent areas of Piedmont, Emilia and Tuscany; settlements in the towns of Carloforte on the San Pietro Island and Calasetta on the Sant’Antioco Island off the southwest coast of Sardinia
• Logudorese Sardinian: central Sardinia
• Lombard: Lombardy (except the southernmost border areas) and the Province of Novara in Piedmont
• Mócheno: Palù, Fierozzo and Frassilongo in the Fersina Valley in Trentino; an outlying dialect of Bavarian
• Piedmontese: Piedmont except the Province of Novara, the western Alpine valleys and southern border areas, as well as minor adjacent areas
• Resian: Resia in the northeastern part of the Province of Udine; an outlying dialect of Slovene not listed separately by the SIL
• Romani: spoken by the Roma community in Italy
• Sassarese: northwestern Sardinia; a transitional language between Corsican and Sardinian
• Yiddish: spoken by parts of the Jewish community in Italy

Severely endangered

• Töitschu the village of Issime in the upper Lys Valley/Lystal in the Aosta Valley; an outlying dialect of Alemannic not listed separately by the SIL
• Molise Croatian: the villages of Montemitro, San Felice del Molise, and Acquaviva Collecroce in the Province of Campobasso in southern Molise; a mixed Chakavian-Shtokavian dialect of Croatian not listed separately by the SIL
• Griko (Salento): the Salento peninsula in the Province of Lecce in southern Apulia; an outlying dialect of Greek not listed separately by the SIL
• Gardiol: Guardia Piemontese in Calabria; an outlying dialect of Alpine Provençal
• Griko (Calabria): a few villages near Reggio di Calabria in southern Calabria; an outlying dialect of Greek not listed separately by the SIL

Genetic classification

All languages indigenous to Italy are part of the Indo-European language family. The source is the SIL's Ethnologue unless otherwise stated. Language classification can be a controversial issue, when a classification is contested by academic sources, this is reported in the 'notes' column.

Romance languages

Gallo-Iberian languages

Language	Family				ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
French	Gallo-Romance	Gallo-Rhaetian	Oïl	French	fra			100,000
Franco-Provençal	Gallo-Romance	Gallo-Rhaetian	Oïl	Southeastern	frp	Valdôtain; Faetar		70,000
Catalan	Ibero-Romance	East Iberian			cat	Algherese		20,000
Occitan	Ibero-Romance	Oc			oci	Gardiol		100,000
Friulian	Gallo-Romance	Gallo-Rhaetian	Rhaetian		fur			794,000
Ladin	Gallo-Romance	Gallo-Rhaetian	Rhaetian		lld			30,000

Gallo-Italian languages

Language	ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
Emiliano-Romagnolo	eml	Emilian; Romagnol (Forlivese);	Emilian and Romagnol have been assigned two different ISO 639-3 codes (egl and rgn, respectively).	2,000,000
Ligurian	lij	Tabarchino; Mentonasc; Intemelio; Brigasc		1,920,000
Lombard	lmo	Western Lombard (see Western dialects of Lombard language); Eastern Lombard; Gallo-Italic of Sicily		8,830,000
Piedmontese	pms			3,110,000
Venetian	vec	Triestine		2,180,000

Italo-Dalmatian languages

Language	ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
Italian	ita	Tuscan; Central Italian		55,000,000
Judeo-Italian	itk			200
South Italian (Neapolitan)	nap	Abruzzese; Northern Calabrian (Cosentino); Bari dialect		7,050,000
Sicilian	scn	Salentino; Southern Calabrian; Cilentan		4,830,000

Sardinian

Sardinian, according to Ethnologue, is a dialect continuum with significant differences among its dialects. Ethnologue considers four of these as independent languages (two of which to be part of Corsican rather than Sardinian), though being all included, according the same source, in a hypothetical sub-group named Southern Romance:

Language	ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
Campidanese Sardinian	sro			345,000
Gallurese	sdn		considered an outlying dialect of Corsican by the UNESCO	100,000
Logudorese Sardinian	src			500,000
Sassarese	sdc		considered an outlying dialect of Corsican by the UNESCO	100,000

Non-Romance languages

Language	Family				ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
Arbëresh	Albanian	Tosk			aae		considered an outlying dialect of Albanian by the UNESCO	80,000
Croatian	Slavic	South	Western		hrv	Molise Croatian		3,500
Greek	Greek	Attic			ell	Griko (Salento); Griko (Calabria)		20,000
Romani	Indo-Iranian	Indo-Aryan	Central zone	Romani	rom
Slovene	Slavic	South	Western		slv	Resian		100,000

Germanic

Language	Family		ISO 639-3	Dialects spoken in Italy	Notes	Speakers
Bavarian	Upper German	Bavarian-Austrian	bar	Cimbrian; Mocheno		250,000
Cimbrian	Upper German	Bavarian-Austrian	cim		sometimes considered a dialect of Bavarian, also considered an outlying dialect of Bavarian by the UNESCO	2,230
German	Middle German	East Middle German	deu			225,000
Mocheno	Upper German	Bavarian-Austrian	mhn		considered an outlying dialect of Bavarian by the UNESCO	1,900
Walser	Upper German	Alemannic	wae			3,400

Geographic distribution

Approximate distribution of the regional languages of Northern Italy according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:

Alemannic

Alpine
Provençal

Bavarian

Cimbrian

Emilian-Romagnol

Francoprovençal

Friulian

Ladin

Ligurian

Lombard

Mócheno

Piedmontese

Resian

Töitschu

Venetian

Approximate distribution of the regional languages of Sardinia and Southern Italy according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:

Corsican

Gallurese

Sassarese

Algherese

Logudorese

Campidanese

Molise
Croatian

Faetar

Arbëresh

South Italian

Griko
(Salento)

Griko
(Calabria)

Gardiol

Gallo-Italic
of Sicily

Sicilian

Standardised written forms

The following regional languages of Italy have a standardised written form. This may be widely accepted or used alongside more traditional written forms:

• Ligurian: "Grafîa ofiçiâ" created by the Académia Ligùstica do Brénno;
• Sardinian: " Limba sarda comuna";
• Friulian: "Grafie uficiâl" created by the Osservatori Regjonâl de Lenghe e de Culture Furlanis;
• Ladin: "Grafia Ladina" created by the Istituto Ladin de la Dolomites;

See also

• Italian dialects
• La Spezia-Rimini line

External links

• An interactive map of languages and dialects in Italy
• Ethnologue - Languages of Italy