Italy

Extensive List of Languages of Italy: Spoken Languages

Italian Republic, Repubblica Italiana. 58,057,477. National or official languages: Italian, regional languages: French, Standard German, Slovenian. Literacy rate: 97% to 98%. Also includes Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, English (29,000), Judeo-Tripolitanian Arabic (5,000), Judeo-Tunisian Arabic, Kabuverdianu (10,000), Maltese (28,000), Northern Kurdish (3,000), Somali (50,626), Sylheti, Chinese (40,000), people from Eritrea, the Philippines. Information mainly from R. A. Hall 1974; M. Stephens 1976; F. B. Agard 1984; B. Comrie 1987. The number of languages listed for Italy is 33. Of those, all are living languages.

:: List of Languages ::

Albanian, Arbëreshë
[aae] 80,000 (1963 L. Newmark). Ethnic population: 260,000 (1976 M. Stephens). Southern; Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Molise, Sicily. Alternate names: Arbëreshë. Dialects: Sicilian Albanian, Calabrian Albanian, Central Mountain Albanian, Campo Marino Albanian. Speakers say the four Italian dialects are not inherently intelligible with each other. Lexical similarity 45% with Tosk Albanian. Classification: Indo-European, Albanian, Tosk.

Bavarian
[bar] 258,885 in Italy (2000 WCD). South Bavarian is in the Bavarian Alps, Tyrol, Styria, including Heanzian dialect of Burgenland, Carinthia, northern Italy, and part of Gottschee; Central Bavarian is in the Alps and Lower Austria and Salzburg; North Bavarian in the north of Regensburg, to Nuremburg and Western Bohemia, Czech Republic. Alternate names: Bayerisch, Bavarian Austrian. Dialects: Central Bavarian, North Bavarian, South Bavarian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

Catalan-Valencian-Balear
[cat] 20,000 in Alghero (1996). Alghero, northwest coast on Sardinia. Dialects: Algherese. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, East Iberian.

Cimbrian
[cim] 2,230. Population includes 500 in Lusernese Cimbrian in Trentino Alto Oolige 40 km southeast from Trento, plus 1,500 Sette Comuni Cimbrian (40% of Roana (Rowan), 70% of Messaselva di Roana Rotzo) in Veneto around 60 km north of Vicenza (1978 H. Kloss), and 230 or 65% of Giazza (Ijetzan) Veneto, 43 km northeast of Verona (1992 R. Zamponi). There were 22,700 speakers in Sieben Gemeinde and 12,400 in Dreizehn Gemeinde in 1854. Northeast Italy, Sette and Tredici Comuni (Sieben and Dreizehn Gemeinde) south of Trent, towns of Giazza (Glietzen, Ljetzen), Roana (Rabam), Lusern, some in Venetia Province. Alternate names: Tzimbro, Zimbrisch. Dialects: Lusernese Cimbrian, Tredici Communi Cimbrian (Tauch), Sette Comuni Cimbrian. Structural and intelligibility differences indicate that the 3 dialects listed could be considered separate languages. Lusernese Cimbrian is heavily influenced by Italian. Heavily influenced by Bajuwarisch dialects. It is sometimes considered to be a dialect of South Bavarian. Different from Bavarian, Walser, and Mocheno. No written influence from Standard German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

Corsican
[cos] 1,000 in Italy (1990). Maddalena Island, northeast coast of Sardinia. Alternate names: Corso, Corsu, Corse, Corsi. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Corsican.

Croatian
[hrv] 3,500 in Italy (N. Vincent in B. Comrie 1987). Molise, southern, villages of Montemitro, San Felice del Molise, Acquaviva-Collecroce. Dialects: Croatian. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, South, Western.

Emiliano-Romagnolo
[eml] 2,000,000 in Emilia-Romagna (2003). Population total all countries: 2,020,112. Northwest Italy, region of Piacenza to that of Ravenna, and between the Po and the Adriatic and the Apennines, in the territories of Emilia and Romagna, southern Pianura Padana (all provinces), southern Lombardia (Provinces Mantova and Pavia), northern Toscana (Lunigiana), northern Marche (Province Pesaro). Also spoken in San Marino. Alternate names: Emiliano, Emilian, Sammarinese. Dialects: Western Emiliano, Central Emiliano, Eastern Emiliano, Northern Romagnolo, Southern Romagnolo, Mantovano, Vogherese-Pavese, Lunigiano. A structurally separate language from Italian (F.B. Agard). Related to Lombard (R.A. Hall 1974:29, S. Fleischman 1992, OIEL 3:339). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

Franco-Provençal
[frp] 70,000 in Italy (1971 census). Population includes 700 Faetar speakers (1995 Naomi Nagy). Northwest Italy, Aosta Valley. A small speech community also in Faeto and Celle S. Vito in the Province of Foggia in Apulia, and Guardia Piemontese in Calabria, Cosenza. Covers a huge area. Dialects: Valle D’aosta (Patoé Valdoten, Valdotain, Valdostano), Faeto (Faetar), Celle San Vito. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, Southeastern.

French
[fra] 100,000 in Italy (1987 Harris). Aosta Valley. Alternate names: Français. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.

Friulian
[fur] 794,000 (2000). Northeast and adjacent areas, northern Friuli-Venezia-Giulia on the borders of the Austrian Province of Corinthia and the Republic of Slovenia. Alternate names: Furlan, Frioulan, Frioulian, Priulian, Friulano. Dialects: East Central Friulian, Western Friulian, Carnico. Friulian, Ladin, and Romansch are separate languages (R. A. Hall, Jr. 1978, personal communication). F. B. Agard considers it to be structurally closer to Italian than to Romansch (personal communication 1981). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.

German, Standard
[deu] 225,000 in Italy (1987 Vincent in B. Comrie). Northern, Trentino-Alto Adige, South Tyrol, Province of Bolzano. Alternate names: Tedesco. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.

Greek
[ell] 20,000 in Italy (1987 Vincent in B. Comrie). Southern, east of Reggio; Salento (Colimera, Sternatía, Zollino) and Aspromonte (Bova, Condofuri, Palizzi, Roccoforte, Roghudi). Alternate names: Greco. Dialects: Salento, Aspromonte. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic.

Italian
[ita] 55,000,000 in Italy. Population includes some of whom are native bilinguals of Italian and regional varieties, and some of whom may use Italian as second language. Population total all countries: 61,489,984. Also spoken in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Eritrea, France, Germany, Israel, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vatican State. Alternate names: Italiano. Dialects: Tuscan, Abruzzese, Pugliese, Umbrian, Laziale, Central Marchigiano, Cicolano-Reatino-Aquilano, Molisano. Regional varieties coexist with the standard language; some are inherently unintelligible (Nida) to speakers of other varieties unless they have learned them. Aquilano, Molisano, and Pugliese are very different from the other Italian ‘dialects’. Piemontese and Sicilian are distinct enough to be separate languages (F. B. Agard 1981, personal communication). Venetian and Lombard are also very different (Philippe Cousson 1981, personal communication). Neapolitan is reported to be unintelligible to speakers of Standard Italian. Northern varieties are closer to French and Occitan than to standard or southern varieties (Agard, N. Vincent). Lexical similarity 89% with French, 87% with Catalan, 85% with Sardinian, 82% with Spanish, 78% with Rheto-Romance, 77% with Rumanian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

Italian Sign Language
[ise] Alternate names: Lingua Italiana Dei Segni, Lis. Dialects: Partially intelligible with French Sign Language. Not intelligible with American Sign Language. Regional differences, but signers from different regions seem to communicate fluently. Classification: Deaf sign language.

Judeo-Italian
[itk] 200. Alternate names: Italkian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

Ladin
[lld] 30,000 in Italy (2001 census). Ethnic population: 38,000. Autonomous province of Bolzano or Southern Tyrol (German Südtirol, Italian Alto Adige), in the Valleys of Gherdëina (Italian Val Gardena, German Grödnertal) and of Badia (Italian Val Badia, German Gadertal); autonomous province of Trento (Trient) or Trentino, in the Valley of Fascia (Italian Val di Fassa, German Fassatal) and in the province of Belluno in Fodom (Italian Livinallongo, German Buchenstein) and in Anpezo (Italian Ampezzo, around Cortina d’Ampezzo). Also spoken in USA. Alternate names: Dolomite, Rhaeto-Romance. Dialects: Atesino, Cadorino, Nones (Nones Blot, Nonesh, Parlata Trentina, Nonese), Gardenese (Grüdno, Grödnerisch), Fassano, Badiotto (Gadertalisch), Marebbano (Ennebergisch), Livinallese, Ampezzano. Friulian, Ladin (in Italy), and Romansch (in Switzerland) are separate languages (R. A. Hall, Jr. 1978, personal communication). Seven dialects. The dialect of Val di Fassa is taught in schools. Distinct from Ladino (Dzhudezmo, Judeo-Spanish). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.

Ligurian
[lij] 1,915,749 in Italy (2000 WCD). Population total all countries: 1,920,849. Liguria, northern Italy; east and west of Genoa along the Riviera and mountain hinterland, St. Pietro and St. Antioch, islands off southwest coast of Sardinia, cities of Carloforte and Calasetta in Sardinia. Also spoken in France, Monaco. Alternate names: Líguru, Ligure. Dialects: Genoese (Genoan, Genovese). Ligurian is closer to Piemontese, Lombard, and French than to Standard Italian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

Lombard
[lmo] 8,830,855 in Italy (2000 WCD). Population total all countries: 9,133,855. Milan, Lombardy, 3 valleys of Graubünden (Val Mesolcina, Val Bregaglia, Val Poschiavo), northern Italy. Western Lombard varieties also in Sicily. Ticino is in Switzerland. Also spoken in Switzerland, USA. Alternate names: Lombardo. Dialects: Milanese, Eastern Lombard, Western Lombard (Piazza Armerina, Novara, Nicosia, San Fratello), Alpine Lombard, Novarese Lombard, Trentino Western, Latin Fiamazzo, Latin Anaunico, Bergamasco, Ticinese (Ticino). A group of dialects, some of which may be separate languages. Western Lombard dialects (of Ticino and Graubnnden) are inherently intelligible to each other’s speakers. Speakers in more conservative valleys may have to use some kind of ‘standard’ dialect to communicate with speakers of other dialects of Lombard. Very different from Standard Italian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

Mócheno
[mhn] 1,900 (1992 Raoul Zamponi). Population includes 400 Fierozzo, 1,000 Palú, 460 Gereut. Valle del Fersina (Trentino). Dialects: Fierozzo (Florutz), Palú (Palai), Frassilongo (Gereut). Speakers can partially understand Bavarian, Cimbrian, or Standard German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

Napoletano-Calabrese
[nap] 7,047,399 (1976). Campania and Calabria provinces, southern Italy. Alternate names: Neapolitan-Calabrese. Dialects: Napoletano (Neapolitan, Tirrenic), Northern Calabrese-Lucano (Lucanian, Basilicatan). Limited inherent intelligibility of Standard Italian. Neapolitan and Calabrese are reported to be very different from each other. Southern Calabrian is reported to be a dialect of Sicilian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

Piemontese
[pms] 3,106,620 in Italy (2000 WCD). Northwest Italy, Piedmont, except for the Provençal- and Franco-Provençal-speaking Alpine valleys. Also spoken in Australia, USA. Alternate names: Piemontèis, Piedmontese. Dialects: High Piemontese (Alto Piemontese), Low Piemontese (Basso Piemontese). Distinct enough from Standard Italian to be considered a separate language. Considerable French influence. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

Provençal
[prv] 100,000 in Italy (1990 P. Blanchet). Upper valleys of the Italian Piedmont (Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Val d’Esturo, Entraigas, Limoun, Vinai, Pignerol, Sestriero), Guardia Piemontese in Calabria. Alternate names: Provenzale. Dialects: Transalpin. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, Oc.

Romani, Balkan
[rmn] 5,000 Arlija in Italy (1990). Dialects: Arlija (Erli). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Balkan.

Romani, Sinte
[rmo] 14,000 in Italy (1980). Population includes 10,000 Manouche, 4,000 Slovenian-Croatian. North Italy. Dialects: Piedmont Sintí, Slovenian-Croatian, Manouche. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern.

Romani, Vlax
[rmy] 4,000 in Italy. Population includes 1,000 to 3,000 Kalderash, 1,000 Lovari. Dialects: Kalderash, Lovari. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax.

Sardinian, Campidanese
[sro] 345,180 (2000 WCD). Southern Sardinia. Alternate names: Sardu, Campidanese, Campidese, South Sardinian. Dialects: Cagliare (Cagliari, Cagliaritan), Arborense, Sub-Barbaricino, Western Campidenese, Central Campidanese, Ogliastrino, Sulcitano, Meridionale, Sarrabense. Cagliaritan is the dialect of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. Campidanese is quite distinct from the other Sardinian languages. Lexical similarity 62% between Cagliare and Standard Italian, 73% with Logudorese, 66% with Gallurese. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

Sardinian, Gallurese
[sdn] Gallurese is in northeastern Sardinia. Alternate names: Northeastern Sardinian, Gallurese. Dialects: Lexical similarity 83% with Standard Italian, 81% with Sassarese, 70% with Logudorese, 66% with Cagliare. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

Sardinian, Logudorese
[src] 1,500,000 (1977 M. Ibba, Rutgers University). Population includes all Sardinian languages. Central Sardinia. Alternate names: Sard, Sardarese, Logudorese, Central Sardinian. Dialects: Nuorese, Northern Logudorese, Barbaricino, Southwestern Logudorese. No one form of Sardinian is selected as standard for literary purposes. Logudorese is quite different from other Sardinian varieties. Lexical similarity 68% with Standard Italian, 73% with Sassarese and Cagliare, 70% with Gallurese. ‘Sardinian’ has 85% lexical similarity with Italian, 80% with French, 78% with Portuguese, 76% with Spanish, 74% with Rumanian and Rheto-Romance. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

Sardinian, Sassarese
[sdc] Northwestern Sardinia. Alternate names: Northwestern Sardinian, Sassarese. Dialects: Lexical similarity 81% with Gallurese, 76% with Standard Italian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

Sicilian
[scn] 4,832,520 (2000 WCD). Sicily, an island off the southern mainland. Alternate names: Calabro-Sicilian, Sicilianu, Siculu. Dialects: Western Sicilian (Palermo, Trapani, Central-Western Agrigentino), Central Metafonetica, Southeast Metafonetica, Eastern Nonmetafonetica, Messinese, Isole Eolie, Pantesco, Southern Calabro. Distinct enough from Standard Italian to be considered a separate language. Pugliese (see Italian) and Southern Calabrese are reported to be dialects of Sicilian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

Slovenian
[slv] 100,000 in Italy (N. Vincent in B. Comrie 1987). The provinces of Trieste and Gorizia in northeast near Slovenia border. Alternate names: Slovene. Dialects: Primorski, Cividale, Resia. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, South, Western.

Venetian
[vec] 2,180,387 in Italy (2000 WCD). Northern Italy, city of Venice, area of the Tre Venezie; Venezia Eugànea westward to Verona, southward to the Po, and eastward to the border of the Fruili; Venezia Tridentina, in the Adige valley and neighboring mountain regions to the north of Trent; and Venezia Giulia, east of the Friuli, and including Trieste. Bisiacco is spoken in Gorizia Province. Also spoken in Croatia, Slovenia. Alternate names: Veneto, Venet. Dialects: Istrian, Triestino, Venetian Proper, Bisiacco. Distinct from Standard Italian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

Walser
[wae] 3,400 in Italy (1978 Fazzini). Valle d’Aosta: Val Lesa (Gressoney, Issime, Gaby); Piemonte: Valsesie (Alagna, Rima S. Siuseppe, Rimelle), Novara: Valle Anzacxa (Macugnage); Val Formazza (Formazza, Pomatt). 9 communities in Italy, and 4 former ones. Alternate names: Walscher. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic.

:: Reference ::

Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/