Spasell is a slang of Insubric language, spoken until 19th century by inhabitants of Vallassina, when they used to go out from the valley for business and they didn't want to be understood by the people. It is characterized by code-words conventionally defined basing on characteristics of the thing or on onomatopeias; other words have an unknown origin. It has been noted by Carlo Mazza, vicar

Vicar

In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

 of Asso

Asso

Asso is an Italian comune in the province of Como, in Lombardy, Italy. It has 3,524 citizens and an area of 6.46 km², with a density of 546 people/km².-Main sights:Significant historic buildings are:...

, in his book Memorie storiche della Vallassina of 1796. He informs us that several slangs have been created in the time, because in the time the words were introduced in the current language, reducing the differences between "official" language and "secret" language. After a list of terms, the vicar proposes, as example, the translation of Pater Noster

Pater Noster

Pater Noster is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity.Pater Noster or Paternoster may also refer to:* Paternoster, a passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building* Paternoster, Western Cape, South Africa* Pierres...

 in this language, evidencing that it's totally incomprehensible also by the Insubric speakers. There are various similar or identical slangs in many localities of Insubria

Insubria

Insubria is a historical-geographical region which corresponds to the area inhabited in Classical antiquity by the Insubres. Secondarily the name can refer to the Duchy of Milan...

, like Valtellina

Valtellina

Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...

 and Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

. Some Spasell words have been adsorbed by the common language, for example lòfi (see Spasell loffi=bad), used in northern Brianza

Brianza

thumb|250px|The [[Corni di Canzo]].Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy.-Geography:...

 to indicate a "so and so" person, or scabbi, used also by Carlo Porta

Carlo Porta

Carlo Porta was an Italian poet, the most famous writer in Milanese .-Biography:...

 in the poem Brindes de Meneghin a l'Ostaria to refer to wine, in alternation with vin.

EL «PATER NOSTER» IN SPASELL

Masett che stanziê in la creuggia di salvestri,

ch'el vost oden s'ingalmissa,

ch'el stanzia el nost bosin piatt,

che se rusca quel che vu tubè

sora i masett de la luscia, quant in quella di sciatt.

Refilên el sbêg de stobold,

e che no va stanzien nippa in del scimêe i nost lenarii,

come anch'el nost'oden szabolda ai olter ghielma;

Fêen taruscia la schigna che ne rusca el Naja de Tameu.

Per tagiorala no lassên sciobigà in nient de loffi.

A M E N.

Some Spasell words in Classical Milanese orthography

Classical Milanese orthography

The classical Milanese orthography is the orthography used for the Western Lombard language, in particular for the Milanese dialect, by the major poets and writers of this literature, such as Carlo Porta, Carlo Maria Maggi, Delio Tessa etc....

:

• albarej - eggs (Vallassinese
  Vallassinese
  Vallassinese is variety of the Western Lombard language spoken in the Vallassina valley of Italy . It belongs to the Comasco-Lecchese group and it has many subdialects....
  
  of Asso: ööf)
• arton - bread (pan)
• astregg - omlet (fritada)
• bajaff - weapon (arma)
• bald - day (dì)
• ballina - hour (ura)
• bell - sun (suu)
• bella - moon (lüna)
• belledra - sheep (pégura, barina)
• bighês - lover (muruus)
• boffaroeu - firearm (s'ciòp)
• bolla - people, community (géent)
• boschiroeura - hazelnut (nisciöla)
• bosin - master (padrón)
• bronza - bell (campana)
• bruna - night (nòcc)
• brunej - eyes (öcc)
• calcant - beggar (pitòch)
• calcosa - street (straa)
• Capellura - Our Lady (Madòna)
• Capelluu - God (Signuur)
• cer - white (biaanch)
• croeuggia - house (cà)
• croeulla - storm (tempèsta)
• daga - sword (spada)
• degoeuj - salad (nsalada)
• fangôs - shoes (scaarp)
• faree - black (négher)
• ficcà el vel - to go (ndà)
• fogatta - red (rós)
• foja - fear (pagüra, strimizi)
• follon - fear (pagüra, strimizi)
• fortin - vinegar (asée)
• fraina - snow (néef)
• fratessa - pocket (sacòcia)
• ghisalba - blind (òorp)
• gialdin - coin (zechin)
• gianderoeu - peach (pèrsega)
• gnifell - son (bagaj)
• griera - prison (prisón)
• gringaja - bell (campana)
• inciappinà - to become drunk (imbriagas)
• infioeura - chestnut (castègna)
• ingalmì - to understand (capì)
• lescia - garlic (aj)
• levesa - chestnut (castègna)
• loffi - bad (gram)
• longôs - year (ann, agn)
• longosin - month (mées)
• lumà - to see (vedè)
• lumart - mirror (spècc)
• luscia - water, rain (aqua)
• luscià - to cry (piaanc, caragnà)
• luscia del Capelluu - blessed water (aqua santa)
• luscion piatt - sea (maar)
• mager - good (bón)
• manìa - woman (dòna)
• masett - father (pà)
• masett de la luscia - cloud (nìula)
• masetta - mother (mam)
• mugenga - cow (vaca)
• muginghera - cowshed (stala)
• naja de tamoeu - devil (diàul)
• nold - grandfather (nònu)
• percà - to see (vedè)
• picch - hammer (martèl)
• pisto - priest (préet)
• prumm - pig (purcèl)
• quella di sciatt - earth, ground (tèra)
• rabbaja - polenta (pulénta)
• refald - hot (caalt)
• refilà - to give (dà)
• ruscà - to do (fà)
• ruspanda - hen (gaìna)
• ruspandon - cock (gal)
• saltarella - hare (légura)
• sbalada - death (mòort)
• sbeg - bread (pan)
• sbelledrà - to sing (cantà)
• sbertì - to kill (mazà)
• sbertidor - executioner (bòja)
• sboja-tambell - notary (nudaar)
• scabi - wine (vin)
• scabià - to drink (béef)
• scajà - to pay (pagà)
• sciucchesta - pint (pinta)
• sciucch - mug
• scoffenà - to work (laurà)
• scoloeu - hat (capèl)
• scoloeu de la croeuggia - roof (tècc)
• scovagioeu - handkerchief (panèt)
• seguacc - lake (laach)
• sgorattin - bird (üsèl)
• sguinz - fish (pès)
• silvestra - candlelight (lüm)
• slenza - rain (aqua)
• spiazz - priest (préet)
• spiazz de la bolla - vicar (cürat, prevòst)
• spolverenta - flour (farina)
• stanzià - to be, to have, to stay (vès, vèch, stà)
• stobald - today (incöö)
• sudà - to inebriate (imbriagas)
• szabolda - to be silent (tasè)
• tabacca - beard (barba)
• tabacchin - (pizèt)
• tambell - cards (caart)
• tambosna - pumpkin (züca)
• tamera - night (nòcc)
• tavolà - to come (vignì)
• tavolà la fraina - to snow (vignì la néef)
• tisell - cold (frècc)
• toff - gun (s'ciupetada)
• traversa - tablecloth (tuaja)
• tubà - to say (dì)
• vedrosin - glass (bicéer)
• vertera - door (pòrta)