List of Languages of Italy
Encyclopedia
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 language
s are also spoken to varying degrees. Other non-indigenous languages are spoken by a substantial percentage of the population due to immigration
.
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 language
s 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).
, but is yet to ratify the treaty, and therefore its provisions protecting regional language
s 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".
, 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 group
s (Albanians, Catalans, Germanic peoples
indigenous to Italy ("popolazioni germaniche"), Greeks, Slovenes and Croats) and those who are not (all the others).
'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.
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.
is a dialect continuum
with significant differences among its dialects. Ethnologue considers four of these as indipendent languages (two of which to be part of Corsican
rather than Sardinian), though being included, according the same source, in a hypothetical sub-group named Southern Romance
:
according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:
Approximate distribution of the regional languages of Sardinia
and Southern Italy
according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:
. This may be widely accepted or used alongside more traditional written forms:
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
is Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(a recent proposal aims to declare it the official language), a descendant of the Tuscan dialect and a direct descendant of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, but several regional language
Regional language
A regional language is a language spoken in an area of a nation state, whether it be a small area, a federal state or province, or some wider area....
s are also spoken to varying degrees. Other non-indigenous languages are spoken by a substantial percentage of the population due to immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
.
History of the Italian language
The Tuscan dialect (or Florentine language) spoken in TuscanyTuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
was promoted as the standard due to the socio-economic power associated with Florence as well as its literary heritage (Dante's
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
Divine Comedy is often credited with the emergence of the Tuscan dialect as a standard). Pietro Bembo
Pietro Bembo
Pietro Bembo was an Italian scholar, poet, literary theorist, and cardinal. He was an influential figure in the development of the Italian language, specifically Tuscan, as a literary medium, and his writings assisted in the 16th-century revival of interest in the works of Petrarch...
, a Venetian influenced by Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
, also promoted Tuscan as the standard literary language
Literary language
A literary language is a register of a language that is used in literary writing. This may also include liturgical writing. The difference between literary and non-literary forms is more marked in some languages than in others...
(volgare illustre). The spread of the printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
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
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
regional language
Regional language
A regional language is a language spoken in an area of a nation state, whether it be a small area, a federal state or province, or some wider area....
s were spoken throughout the Italian Peninsula (Italian dialects
Italian dialects
Dialects of Italian are regional varieties of the Italian language, more commonly and more accurately referred to as Regional Italian. The dialects have features, most notably phonological and lexical, percolating from the underlying substrate languages...
), each with local variants. Following Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio
Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio
Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio was an Italian statesman, novelist and painter.-Biography:Marquis d'Azeglio was born in Turin, descended from an ancient and noble Piedmontese family...
, one of Cavour's ministers, is said to have stated that having created Italy, all that remained was to create Italians (a national identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
).
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
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
(the state broadcaster
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
helped set an Italian standard).
Recognition at the European level
Italy is a signatory of the European Charter for Regional or Minority LanguagesEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe...
, but is yet to ratify the treaty, and therefore its provisions protecting regional language
Regional language
A regional language is a language spoken in an area of a nation state, whether it be a small area, a federal state or province, or some wider area....
s 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: AlbanianAlbanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Slovene, Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Franco-Provençal
Franco-Provençal language
Franco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
, Friulian, Ladin
Ladin
Ladin is a language consisting of a group of dialects spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the border regions of the provinces Trentino, South Tyrol and Belluno...
, Occitan, Sardinian
Sardinian language
Sardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
(Legge 15 Dicembre 1999, n. 482, Art. 2, comma 1). The law also makes a distinction between those who are considered minority group
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
s (Albanians, Catalans, Germanic peoples
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
indigenous to Italy ("popolazioni germaniche"), Greeks, Slovenes and Croats) and those who are not (all the others).
Recognition by the regions
- Aosta Valley: FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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); GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
is unofficial but recognised in the Lys Valley (Lystal) (Le Statut spécial de la Vallée d'Aoste, Title VIe, Art. 40 - bis). - CampaniaCampaniaCampania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
: the Neapolitan languageNeapolitan languageNeapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
is "promoted", but not recognised, by the region (Reg. Gen. nn. 159/I 198/I, Art. 1, comma 4). - Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
: the FriulianFriulian languageFriulan , is a Romance language belonging to the Rhaeto-Romance family, spoken in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. Friulan has around 800,000 speakers, the vast majority of whom also speak Italian...
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). - PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
: the Piedmontese languagePiedmontese languagePiedmontese is a Romance language spoken by over 2 million people in Piedmont, northwest Italy. It is geographically and linguistically included in the Northern Italian group . It is part of the wider western group of Romance languages, including French, Occitan, and Catalan.Many European and...
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-ProvençalFranco-Provençal languageFranco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
and WalserWalser GermanThe Walser language , also known as Walliser German , is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria and in the German-speaking part of the Canton of Wallis , in the uppermost Rhône valley.The terms Walser and...
languages (Legge regionale 10 aprile 1990, n. 26, Art. 3, comma 1 bis). - SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
: SardinianSardinian languageSardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
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); CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
is co-official in the city of AlgheroAlgheroAlghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
(Legge Regionale 15 ottobre 1997, n. 26, Art. 2, comma 4), Tabarchino in the islands of SulcisSulcisSulcis is the southwestern region of Sardinia, part of the larger Sulcis-Iglesiente region. It is named for the Phoenician city of Sulcis , present-day Sant'Antioco....
, the Sassarese and Gallurese dialects in their respective territories (Legge Regionale 15 ottobre 1997, n. 26, Art. 2, comma 4). - Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol: GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
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, CimbrianCimbrian languageCimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German varieties spoken in northeastern Italy. The speakers of the language are known as Zimbern....
and MochenoMócheno languageMócheno is an Upper German variety spoken in three towns of the Mocheni Valley , in Trentino, northeastern Italy....
are unofficial but recognised in their respective territories (Statuto speciale per il Trentino-Alto Adige, Titolo XI, Articolo 102). - VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
: the Venetian languageVenetian languageVenetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
is unofficial but recognised (Legge regionale 13 aprile 2007, n. 8, Art. 2, comma 2).
Conservation status
According to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
'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 PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
- Bavarian: South TyrolSouth TyrolSouth Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
- SicilianSicilian languageSicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects make up the Extreme-Southern Italian language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento ; and Campania, on the Italian mainland, where it is...
: SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, southern and central CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and southern ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and... - South ItalianSouth ItalianSouth Italian is a designation for ancient Greek pottery fabricated in Magna Graecia largely during the 4th century BC. The fact that Greek Southern Italy produced its own red figure pottery as early as the end of the 5th century BC. was first established by Adolf Furtwaengler in 1893...
or NeapolitanNeapolitan languageNeapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
: CampaniaCampaniaCampania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, BasilicataBasilicataBasilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, AbruzzoAbruzzoAbruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, MoliseMoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, northern CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, northern and central ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, southern Lazio and MarcheMarcheThe population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
as well as easternmost UmbriaUmbriaUmbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St... - VenetianVenetian languageVenetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
: VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, parts of Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
Definitely endangered
- Algherese Catalan: the town of AlgheroAlgheroAlghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
in northwestern SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
; an outlying dialect of Catalan languageCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - Alpine Provençal: the upper valleys of Piedmont (Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Val d’Esturo, Entraigas, Limoun, Vinai, PineroloPineroloPinerolo is a town and comune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the river Chisone.-History:In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance...
, Sestrieres); the original joint ISO code [prv] for Alpine Provençal and Provençal has been retired on false grounds - ArbëreshArbëresh languageArbëreshë, also known as Arbërisht, is an ethnolect spoken by the Arbëreshë, the group of Albanian-speaking minorities in Italy.-Classification:...
: (i) Adriatic zone: MontecilfoneMontecilfoneMontecilfone is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region of Molise, located about 40 km northeast of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,552 and an area of 22.8 km²....
, CampomarinoCampomarinoCampomarino is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 50 km northeast of Campobasso, and about 5 km southeast of Termoli. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,658....
, PortocannonePortocannonePortocannone is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 50 km northeast of Campobasso....
and UruriUruriUruri is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 40 km northeast of Campobasso.Ururi borders the following municipalities: Larino, Montorio nei Frentani, Rotello, San Martino in Pensilis....
in MoliseMoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
as well as ChieutiChieutiChieuti is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.Chieuti placed in Italy's Apulia region, located in the province of Foggia....
and Casalvecchio di PugliaCasalvecchio di PugliaCasalvecchio is a small Italian comune in the southeastern region of Italy. It is located in the province of Foggia in the Puglia region. The current mayor, Michele Boccamazzo, runs a community of 2,167 people. Mostly from a 15th century Albanian migration, the residents have subsisted on...
in ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
; (ii) San MarzanoSan Marzano di San GiuseppeSan Marzano di San Giuseppe is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, part of the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It is one of the Arbëreshë communities in southern Italy.Economy is based on the cultivation of olive trees and vine....
in ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
; (iii) GreciGreci (AV)Greci is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
in CampaniaCampaniaCampania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
; (iv) northern BasilicataBasilicataBasilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
: BarileBarileBarile is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni , of Ginestra, Rapolla, Rionero in Vulture, Ripacandida, Venosa. The town is an ancient Arbëreshë settlement and the population still maintains strong links with that...
, GinestraGinestraGinestra / Zhura is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni , of Barile, Forenza, Maschito, Ripacandida, Venosa....
and MaschitoMaschitoMaschito is a town and comune of the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Like other towns in the Vulture area, Maschito was repopulated by Albanian refugees after the occupation of Albania by the Ottoman Empire.-Geography:Located Northeast of Basilicata, it is a small...
; (v) North CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
n zone: ca. 30 settlements in northern CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
(PlataciPlataciPlataci is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
, Civita, FrascinetoFrascinetoFrascinetto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.It is home to an Arbëresh minority.- External links :* * on http://www.telecosenza.it...
, San Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio Corone is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is notable for the Collegio of Sant'Adriano, a boarding school which produced many patriots and theorists/revolutionaries in the Italian Independence wars-Geography:The village is...
, LungroLungroLungro is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Since the Middle Ages it is home to an Arbëresh minority....
, AcquaformosaAcquaformosaAcquaformosa is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of Italy. Since the Middle Ages it is home to an Arbëresh minority, which is reflected in the presence of Skanderbeg's heraldic eagle in the comune's coat of arms....
etc.) as well as San Costantino AlbaneseSan Costantino AlbaneseSan Costantino Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata....
and San Paolo Lucano in southern BasilicataBasilicataBasilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
; (vi) settlements in southern CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, e.g. San Nicola dell'AltoSan Nicola dell'AltoSan Nicola dell'Alto is a village and comune in the province of Crotone, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is an Arbëreshë village founded by Albanian immigrants to Italy and has the name "Shin Koll" in the Arbëreshë language....
and Vena di Maida; (vii) Sicilian zone: Piana degli AlbanesiPiana degli AlbanesiPiana degli Albanesi is a comune with 6,427 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.The town is the most important and populous Arbëreshë community in Sicily and it is the episcopal see of the Byzantine Catholic Church...
and two nearby villages near PalermoPalermoPalermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
; (viii) formerly also Villabadessa in Abruzzi; an outlying dialect of AlbanianAlbanian languageAlbanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... - Campidanese: southern SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
- CimbrianCimbrian languageCimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German varieties spoken in northeastern Italy. The speakers of the language are known as Zimbern....
: vigorously spoken in LusernaLusernaLuserna is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 25 km southeast of Trento...
in Trentino; disappearing in Giazza (part of the commune Selva di PrognoSelva di PrognoSelva di Progno is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 90 km west of Venice and about 25 km northeast of Verona...
) in the Province of VeronaProvince of VeronaThe Province of Verona is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Verona.-Overview:The province has an area of 3,109 km², and a total population of 912,981...
and in RoanaRoanaRoana is a commune in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. It is west of SP249. As of 2007 Roana had an estimated population of 4,184.The commune consists of six villages or frazioni, spread over a total area of 7,838 hectares: Camporovere, Canove, Cesuna, Mezzaselva, Roana and Tresché...
in the Province of VicenzaProvince of VicenzaThe Province of Vicenza is a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital city is Vicenza.The province has an area of 2,723 km², and a total population of 840,000 . There are 121 comuni in the province...
; recently extinct in several other locations in the region; an outlying dialect of Bavarian - CorsicanCorsican languageCorsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
: spoken on Maddalena Island off the northeast coast of SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],... - Emilian-Romagnol: Emilia-RomagnaEmilia-RomagnaEmilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, parts of the provinces of PaviaProvince of PaviaThe Province of Pavia is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Pavia is the capital.It has an area of 2,965 km², and a total population of 493,753...
, VogheraVogherathumb|250px|The Castle of Voghera in a 19th century etching.Voghera is a town and comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Pavia...
, and MantuaProvince of MantuaThe Province of Mantua is a province in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Mantua.-Communes:It includes 70 comuni , ranging in area from Viadana, with 102.19 km², to Mariana Mantovana, with 8.81 km²....
in southern LombardyLombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, the LunigianaLunigianaThe Lunigiana is an historical territory of Italy, which today falls within the provinces of La Spezia and Massa Carrara. Its borders derive from the ancient Roman settlement, later the medieval diocese of Luni, which no longer exists....
district in northwestern TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, the Province of Pesaro-Urbino in the MarcheMarcheThe population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, and in a zone called Traspadana Ferrarese in the Province of RovigoProvince of RovigoThe Province of Rovigo is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rovigo.It borders on the north with the provinces of Verona, Padua and Venice, on the south with the province of Ferrara, on the west with the province of Mantua, and on the eastwith the Adriatic Sea.-...
in VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule... - Faetar: FaetoFaetoFaeto is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.Residents of this comune and the neighboring one of Celle di San Vito are speakers of the Franco-Provençal language, otherwise found in northern Italy, France and Switzerland....
and Celle San VitoCelle di San VitoCelle di San Vito is a town and comune in the province of Foggia of the Apulia region in central southeast Italy.Residents of Celle and the neighboring village of Faeto speak a rare dialect of the Arpitan language called Faetar, which has fewer than 1,400 known speakers.-External links:* Celle di...
in the Province of FoggiaProvince of FoggiaThe Province of Foggia is a province in the Apulia region of Italy.This province is also known as Capitanata, originally Catapanata, because during the Middle Ages it was governed by a catapan, as part of the Catapanate of Italy...
in ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
; an outlying dialect of Francoprovençal not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - Francoprovençal: the Alpine valleys to the north and east of the Susa ValleySusa ValleyThe Susa Valley is a valley in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, located between the Graian Alps in the north and the Cottian Alps in the south. It is the longest valley in Italy. It extends over in an east-west direction from the French border to the outskirts of Turin. The valley takes its...
in PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
; disappeared in France and Switzerland - FriulianFriulian languageFriulan , is a Romance language belonging to the Rhaeto-Romance family, spoken in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. Friulan has around 800,000 speakers, the vast majority of whom also speak Italian...
: Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
except the Province of TriesteProvince of TriesteThe Province of Trieste is a province in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Trieste.It has an area of 212 km², and a total population of 236,520...
and western and eastern border regions, and PortogruaroPortogruaroPortogruaro is a town and comune in the province of Venice, Veneto, northern Italy.-History:Portogruaro was founded in 1140, when the bishop of Concordia, Gervinus, gave right to several fishermen to settle here and build a river port. A castle existed here, however, as early as the 10th century...
area in the Province of VeniceProvince of VeniceThe Province of Venice is a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Venice.It has an area of 2,467 km², and a total population of 829,418 . There are 44 comuni in the province . As of 2005, the main comuni by population are:-External links:* * : photos of...
in VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule... - Gallo-Italic of Sicily: Nicosia, SperlingaSperlingaSperlinga is a comune in the province of Enna, in region of Sicily in southern Italy....
, Piazza ArmerinaPiazza ArmerinaPiazza Armerina is an Italian comune in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily.-History:...
, Valguarnera CaropepeValguarnera CaropepeValguarnera Caropepe is a comune in Sicily, Italy in the Province of Enna. Valguarnera Caropepe stands at a height of 590m a.s.l...
and AidoneAidoneAidone is a town and comune in the province of Enna, in region of Sicily in southern Italy.-Main sights:* Church of Santa Maria la Cava* Mother Church of San Lorenzo...
in the province of EnnaProvince of EnnaEnna is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Enna.It has an area of 2,562 km², and a total population of 177,200 . There are 20 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Enna...
, and San FratelloSan FratelloSan Fratello , formerly San Filadelfio, is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 110 km east of Palermo and about 90 km west of Messina...
, AcquedolciAcquedolciAcquedolci is an Italian town and comune in the Province of Messina in Sicily.Its name, that can be translated in English as "fresh waters", probably came from the fresh water springs which are part of the town territory...
, San Piero PattiSan Piero PattiSan Piero Patti is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 140 km east of Palermo and about 50 km southwest of Messina...
, Montalbano EliconaMontalbano EliconaMontalbano Elicona is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 150 km east of Palermo and about 50 km southwest of Messina...
, Novara di SiciliaNovara di SiciliaNovara di Sicilia is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km east of Palermo and about 40 km southwest of Messina...
and Fondachelli-FantinaFondachelli-FantinaFondachelli-Fantina is a comune in the Sicilian Province of Messina. Situated between Novara and Francavilla di Sicilia, in the southern Peloritani mountains, it rises on an inland area and is 604m above sea level. The community also borders the municipalities of Antillo and Rodì Milici...
in the province of MessinaProvince of MessinaMessina is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina.-Geography and demography :...
; an outlying dialect of Lombard not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
; other dialects were formerly also spoken in southern Italy outside Sicily, especially in BasilicataBasilicataBasilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a... - GallureseGallureseGallurese is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken in the northeastern part of Sardinia. It is often considered as a variety of Corsican, or a transitional language between Corsican and Sardinian....
: northeastern Sardinia; an outlying dialect of CorsicanCorsican languageCorsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was... - Ladin: several towns and villages in the DolomitesDolomitesThe Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
, including Badia and MareoMareoMareo is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 90 km northeast of Trento and about 50 km northeast of Bolzano .-Geography:...
in the Val Badia and UrtijëiUrtijëiUrtijëi is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol, in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps...
in the Gardena Valley in South TyrolSouth TyrolSouth Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, FassaFassaFassa is a minor Christian-democratic political party in the province of Trentino, Italy, which seeks to represent the Ladin minority in the Province and especially that living in Fascia Valley...
in the Fascia ValleyFascia ValleyThe Fascia Valley is a valley in the Dolomites in Trentino, northern Italy. As an administrative valley community of Trentino it is called Region Comun General de Fascia.The valley is the home of the Ladin community in Trentino, which make up the majority of the population...
in Trentino, and Livinallongo in the Cordevole valley in the Province of BellunoProvince of BellunoTheThe Province of Belluno is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Belluno.It has an area of 3,678 km², and a total population of 214,026 .-Geography:... - LigurianLigurian language (Romance)Ligurian is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in Liguria in Northern Italy, parts of the Mediterranean coastal zone of France, Monaco and in the villages of Carloforte and Calasetta in Sardinia. Genoese , spoken in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, is its most important dialect...
: LiguriaLiguriaLiguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
and adjacent areas of PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, EmiliaEmilia (region of Italy)Emilia is a historical region of northern Italy which approximately corresponds to the western and north-eastern portions of today’s Emilia-Romagna region...
and TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
; settlements in the towns of CarloforteCarloforteCarloforte is a fishing and resort town of located on Isola di San Pietro , approximately 7 km off the South Western Coast of Sardinia, Italy....
on the San Pietro IslandSan Pietro IslandSan Pietro Island is an island approximately 7 km off the South western Coast of Sardinia, Italy, facing the Sulcis peninsula. With 51 km² it is the sixth largest island of Italy by area. The approximately 6,000 inhabitants are mostly concentrated in the fishing town of Carloforte, the...
and CalasettaCalasettaCalasetta is a small town and comune located on the island of Sant'Antioco, off the Southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy.-History:While the town itself dates to 1770...
on the Sant’Antioco Island off the southwest coast of SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],... - Logudorese: central Sardinia
- Lombard: LombardyLombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
(except the southernmost border areas) and the Province of NovaraProvince of NovaraNovara is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Novara.It has an area of 1,339 km², and a total population of 365.156 . There are 88 communes in the province.-External links:*...
in PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of... - MóchenoMócheno languageMócheno is an Upper German variety spoken in three towns of the Mocheni Valley , in Trentino, northeastern Italy....
: PalùPalù del FersinaPalù del Fersina is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 20 km northeast of Trento...
, FierozzoFierozzoFierozzo is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 15 km northeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 456 and an area of 17.9 km²...
and FrassilongoFrassilongoFrassilongo is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 14 km east of Trento...
in the Fersina Valley in Trentino; an outlying dialect of Bavarian - PiedmontesePiedmontese languagePiedmontese is a Romance language spoken by over 2 million people in Piedmont, northwest Italy. It is geographically and linguistically included in the Northern Italian group . It is part of the wider western group of Romance languages, including French, Occitan, and Catalan.Many European and...
: PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
except the Province of NovaraProvince of NovaraNovara is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Novara.It has an area of 1,339 km², and a total population of 365.156 . There are 88 communes in the province.-External links:*...
, the western Alpine valleys and southern border areas, as well as minor adjacent areas - ResianResian dialectThe Resian dialect is a distinct dialect of Slovene spoken in the Resia Valley, Province of Udine, Italy, close to the border with Slovenia...
: Resia in the northeastern part of the Province of UdineProvince of UdineThe Province of Udine is a province in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia. Its capital is the city of Udine....
; an outlying dialect of SloveneSlovenian languageSlovene or Slovenian is a South Slavic language spoken by approximately 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia. It is the first language of about 1.85 million people and is one of the 23 official and working languages of the European Union...
not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - RomaniRomani languageRomani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
: spoken by the Roma community in Italy - SassareseSassareseSassarese is an Italo-Dalmatian language and transitional between Corsican and Sardinian. It is regarded as a Corsican–Sardinian language because of Sassari's historic ties with Tuscany and Corsica...
: northwestern Sardinia; a transitional language between CorsicanCorsican languageCorsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
and SardinianSardinian languageSardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum.... - YiddishYiddish languageYiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
: spoken by parts of the Jewish community in Italy
Severely endangered
- Töitschu the village of IssimeIssimeIssime is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. About a third of its population speak Walser German....
in the upper Lys Valley/Lystal in the Aosta Valley; an outlying dialect of AlemannicAlemannic GermanAlemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - Molise Croatian: the villages of MontemitroMontemitroMontemitro is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso in the Molise region of Italy, near the Trigno river....
, San Felice del MoliseSan Felice del MoliseSan Felice del Molise is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso in the Molise region of Italy, near the Trigno river....
, and Acquaviva CollecroceAcquaviva CollecroceAcquaviva Collecroce is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso, in the Molise region of southern Italy, between the Biferno and Trigno rivers....
in the Province of CampobassoProvince of CampobassoThe Province of Campobasso is a province in the Molise region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Campobasso.It has an area of 2,909 km², and a total population of 230,692...
in southern MoliseMoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
; an outlying dialect of Serbo-Croat not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - Griko (Salento): the SalentoSalentoSalento is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot"...
peninsula in the Province of LecceProvince of LecceThe Province of Lecce is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. Totally included in the Salento peninsula, it is the second most populous province in Apulia and the twenty-first most populous in Italy....
in southern ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
; an outlying dialect of GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,... - Gardiol: Guardia PiemonteseGuardia PiemonteseGuardia Piemontese is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.- Location and language :...
in CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
; an outlying dialect of Alpine Provençal - Griko (Calabria): a few villages near Reggio di Calabria in southern CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
; an outlying dialect of GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
not listed separately by the SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
Genetic classification
All languages indigenous to Italy are part of the Indo-EuropeanIndo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
language family. The source is the SIL
SIL International
SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
's Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The 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.
Gallo-Iberian languages
| Language | Family | ISO 639-3 | Dialects spoken in Italy | Notes | Speakers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... |
Gallo-Romance | Gallo-Rhaetian | Oïl | French | fra | 100,000 | ||
| Franco-Provençal Franco-Provençal language Franco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I... |
Gallo-Romance | Gallo-Rhaetian | Oïl | Southeastern | frp | Valdôtain Valdôtain The Valdôtain, or Valdotans, are an ethnic group that lives in the far northwest Aosta Valley Autonomous Region of Italy. They speak several dialects of the Franco-Provençal language .... ; Faetar |
70,000 | |
| Catalan Catalan language Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island... |
Ibero-Romance | East Iberian | cat | Algherese | 20,000 | |||
| Occitan | Ibero-Romance | Oc | oci | Gardiol | 100,000 | |||
| Friulian Friulian language Friulan , is a Romance language belonging to the Rhaeto-Romance family, spoken in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. Friulan has around 800,000 speakers, the vast majority of whom also speak Italian... |
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 Emilian language The term Emilian refers to a group of local languages, popularly also called dialects, which are part of the Gallo-Italic group, and are spoken in the historical region of Emilia... ; Romagnol Romagnol language Romagnol is a Romance language mostly spoken in Romagna , Republic of San Marino and Northern Marche.-History:... (Forlivese Forlivese Forlivese is the central variety of Romagnol language spoken in the city of Forlì and in its province.In Italian-speaking contexts, Forlivese is often generically called a "dialect"... ); |
Emilian and Romagnol have been assigned two different ISO 639-3 codes (egl and rgn, respectively). | 2,000,000 |
| Ligurian Ligurian language (Romance) Ligurian is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in Liguria in Northern Italy, parts of the Mediterranean coastal zone of France, Monaco and in the villages of Carloforte and Calasetta in Sardinia. Genoese , spoken in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, is its most important dialect... |
lij | Tabarchino; Mentonasc; Intemelio Intemelio Intemelio is a Ligurian dialect spoken historically from the Principality of Monaco to the Italian province of Imperia.-History:Since before the Renaissance the Ligurian language was spoken in all the territories of the Republic of Genoa : in the western area of this republic one of its groups was... ; Brigasc Brigasc Brigasc is a dialect of the Ligurian language. It is spoken in Italy and France.-Area of use:The Brigasc dialects are Roya, Tanaro, and Argentina, named respectively after the rivers Roya, Tanaro and Argentina. Roya is spoken in the French department of Alpes-Maritimes. Tanaro is spoken in the... |
1,920,000 | |
| Lombard | lmo | Western Lombard Western Lombard Western Lombard is a Romance language spoken in Italy, in the Lombard provinces of Milan, Monza, Varese, Como, Lecco, Sondrio, a small part of Cremona , Lodi and Pavia, and the Piedmont provinces of Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and a small part of Vercelli , and Switzerland... (see Western dialects of Lombard language); Eastern Lombard; Gallo-Italic of Sicily |
8,830,000 | |
| Piedmontese Piedmontese language Piedmontese is a Romance language spoken by over 2 million people in Piedmont, northwest Italy. It is geographically and linguistically included in the Northern Italian group . It is part of the wider western group of Romance languages, including French, Occitan, and Catalan.Many European and... |
pms | 3,110,000 | ||
| Venetian Venetian language Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia... |
vec | Triestine | 2,180,000 |
Italo-Dalmatian languages
| Language | ISO 639-3 | Dialects spoken in Italy | Notes | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
ita | Tuscan Tuscan dialect The Tuscan language , or the Tuscan dialect is an Italo-Dalmatian language spoken in Tuscany, Italy.Standard Italian is based on Tuscan, specifically on its Florentine variety... ; Central Italian Central Italian Central Italian is a group of Italo-Dalmatian Romance dialects spoken in Lazio, Umbria, central Marche, the far south of Tuscany and a small part of Abruzzo, in central Italy.... |
55,000,000 | |
| Judeo-Italian Judeo-Italian languages Judeo-Italian languages are the varieties of Italian used between the 10th and the 20th centuries in Italy, Corfu and Zante.-The term "Judaeo-Italian":... |
itk | 200 | ||
| South Italian South Italian South Italian is a designation for ancient Greek pottery fabricated in Magna Graecia largely during the 4th century BC. The fact that Greek Southern Italy produced its own red figure pottery as early as the end of the 5th century BC. was first established by Adolf Furtwaengler in 1893... (Neapolitan Neapolitan language Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected.... ) |
nap | Abruzzese Abruzzese Abruzzese or Abbruzzese may refer to:*Dave Abbruzzese* David Abruzzese , Welsh footballer* Giuseppe Abruzzese , Italian footballer* Ray Abruzzese , American rule football player... ; Northern Calabrian (Cosentino); Bari dialect Bari dialect Bari dialect or dialetto barese is a variety of Romance languages which has developed over time, changing with the numerous linguistic influences in the Apulia region of Italy due to invasion and occupation throughout the centuries... |
7,050,000 | |
| Sicilian Sicilian language Sicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects make up the Extreme-Southern Italian language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento ; and Campania, on the Italian mainland, where it is... |
scn | Salentino Salentino The Salentino dialect is the traditional vernacular of the southern Italian provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and part of that of Taranto, known more commonly as the Salento, the extreme southern part of the region of Puglia or the southern "heel" of the Italian peninsula.For socio-political reasons... ; Southern Calabrian; Cilentan Cilentan language The Cilentan language is a dialect spoken in the area of Cilento, located in the southern part of the Province of Salerno, Campania, Italy.-Influences:... |
4,830,000 |
Sardinian
SardinianSardinian language
Sardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
is a dialect continuum
Dialect continuum
A dialect continuum, or dialect area, was defined by Leonard Bloomfield as a range of dialects spoken across some geographical area that differ only slightly between neighboring areas, but as one travels in any direction, these differences accumulate such that speakers from opposite ends of the...
with significant differences among its dialects. Ethnologue considers four of these as indipendent languages (two of which to be part of Corsican
Corsican language
Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was...
rather than Sardinian), though being included, according the same source, in a hypothetical sub-group named Southern Romance
Southern Romance languages
The Southern Romance languages make up a hypothetical sub-group of the family of Romance languages suggested by Ethnologue but with little support among linguists....
:
| Language | ISO 639-3 | Dialects spoken in Italy | Notes | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campidanese Sardinian | sro | 345,000 | ||
| Gallurese Gallurese Gallurese is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken in the northeastern part of Sardinia. It is often considered as a variety of Corsican, or a transitional language between Corsican and Sardinian.... |
sdn | considered an outlying dialect of Corsican Corsican language Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was... by the UNESCO |
100,000 | |
| Logudorese Sardinian | src | 500,000 | ||
| Sassarese Sassarese Sassarese is an Italo-Dalmatian language and transitional between Corsican and Sardinian. It is regarded as a Corsican–Sardinian language because of Sassari's historic ties with Tuscany and Corsica... |
sdc | considered an outlying dialect of Corsican Corsican language Corsican is a Italo-Dalmatian Romance language spoken and written on the islands of Corsica and northern Sardinia . Corsican is the traditional native language of the Corsican people, and was long the vernacular language alongside the Italian, official language in Corsica until 1859, which was... by the UNESCO |
100,000 |
Non-Romance languages
| Language | Family | ISO 639-3 | Dialects spoken in Italy | Notes | Speakers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbëresh Arbëresh language Arbëreshë, also known as Arbërisht, is an ethnolect spoken by the Arbëreshë, the group of Albanian-speaking minorities in Italy.-Classification:... |
Albanian | Tosk | aae | considered an outlying dialect of Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... by the UNESCO |
80,000 | |||
| Croatian Croatian language Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries... |
Slavic | South | Western | hrv | Molise Croatian | 3,500 | ||
| Greek Greek language Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;... |
Greek | Attic | ell | Griko (Salento); Griko (Calabria) | 20,000 | |||
| Romani Romani language Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own.... |
Indo-Iranian | Indo-Aryan | Central zone | Romani | rom | |||
| Slovene | Slavic | South | Western | slv | Resian Resian dialect The Resian dialect is a distinct dialect of Slovene spoken in the Resia Valley, Province of Udine, Italy, close to the border with Slovenia... |
100,000 |
Germanic
| Language | Family | ISO 639-3 | Dialects spoken in Italy | Notes | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavarian | Upper German | Bavarian-Austrian | bar | Cimbrian Cimbrian language Cimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German varieties spoken in northeastern Italy. The speakers of the language are known as Zimbern.... ; Mocheno Mócheno language Mócheno is an Upper German variety spoken in three towns of the Mocheni Valley , in Trentino, northeastern Italy.... |
250,000 | |
| Cimbrian Cimbrian language Cimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German varieties spoken in northeastern Italy. The speakers of the language are known as Zimbern.... |
Upper German | Bavarian-Austrian | cim | sometimes considered a dialect of Bavarian, also considered an outlying dialect of Bavarian by the UNESCO | 2,230 | |
| German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... |
Middle German | East Middle German | deu | 225,000 | ||
| Mocheno Mócheno language Mócheno is an Upper German variety spoken in three towns of the Mocheni Valley , in Trentino, northeastern Italy.... |
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 ItalyNorthern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:
Approximate distribution of the regional languages of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Southern Italy
South Italy
South Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. South Italy encompasses six of the country's 20 regions:*Abruzzo...
according to the UNESCO's Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:
Standardised written forms
The following regional languages of Italy have a standardised written formKoine language
In linguistics, a koiné language is a standard language or dialect that has arisen as a result of contact between two mutually intelligible varieties of the same language. Since the speakers have understood one another from before the advent of the koiné, the koineization process is not as rapid...
. This may be widely accepted or used alongside more traditional written forms:
- LigurianLigurian language (Romance)Ligurian is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in Liguria in Northern Italy, parts of the Mediterranean coastal zone of France, Monaco and in the villages of Carloforte and Calasetta in Sardinia. Genoese , spoken in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, is its most important dialect...
: "Grafîa ofiçiâ" created by the Académia Ligùstica do Brénno; - SardinianSardinian languageSardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
: " Limba sarda comuna"; - FriulianFriulian languageFriulan , is a Romance language belonging to the Rhaeto-Romance family, spoken in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. Friulan has around 800,000 speakers, the vast majority of whom also speak Italian...
: "Grafie uficiâl" created by the Osservatori Regjonâl de Lenghe e de Culture Furlanis; - Ladin: "Grafia Ladina" created by the Istituto Ladin de la Dolomites;