Italian is one of the most beautiful European languages spoken today. The Romance language is spoken by roughly 85 million people worldwide, and the standard Italian language is one that creates linguistic unity among millions.
The Italian language has a rich history and a widespread influence in cultures around the world. Let’s take a trip to Italy, and unearth the history and origins of the Italian language.
History and Development of the Italian Language
The Italian language is derived directly from Vulgar Latin; this was spoken among commoners and the less educated citizens in the Roman Empire. Today, Italian is the official language of Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City.
The Italian language, as well as Italian grammar, evolved over a long and slow period following the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Around the 14th century, one local dialect began to stand out among all the others, because of writers like as Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio, whose works had enormous literary value.
This unique language evolved over a long and slow period following the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Italian is spoken mainly in the Italian peninsula, southern Switzerland, San Marino, Sicily, Corsica, northern Sardinia, along the Adriatic Sea’s northeastern shore, and in North and South America.
It is also an important European language, serving as an official language spoken by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Italian is also a language spoken in the Council of Europe’s working languages. It is the European Union’s second most widely spoken native language.
First Writings in Italian
Beginning in the early 13th century, substantial volumes of writing, particularly poetry, began to be produced in regional Italian. Sicilian poets produced the most significant contributions in the 13th century, followed by those from Tuscany. The most prominent of whom was the previously mentioned Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, and Francesco Petrarch.
Dante Alighieri
Dante’s Divine Comedy is one of the major works of global literature, and it also demonstrated that the common vernacular could compete with Latin in writing. He had already defended his case in two unfinished treatises, De vulgari eloquentia and Convivio, but the Divine Comedy, “this masterpiece in which Italians regained their language in glorious form,” was required to illustrate his position.
Early 13th century texts
The Chroniclers: These were merchant-class individuals who were motivated to compose stories in the common vernacular by their engagement in city politics. Some, like Dino Compagni (d. 1324), wrote about local wars and rivalries, while others, including Giovanni Villani (d. 1348), focused on far larger European events.
Dialects of Italy’s National Language
Even today, various Italian dialects are utilized as an informal means of communication in many social contexts and within households throughout Italy. In general, the Tuscan dialect is widely spoken, but regional and local dialects are also widely spoken.
Although older generation use a variety of dialects, it’s also a geographical occurrence. Although many young people speak standard Italian, they often use their own dialects in social settings.
There was formerly a bias against dialects like the Tuscan dialect. Many believed that standard Italian was the language of the bourgeoise. Dialects supposedly belonged to farmers and the working class. However, this prejudice has virtually vanished.
It is important to remember that native dialects can vary greatly even within the same location, indicating an amazing cultural richness. Throughout Italy, they constitute a continuum of intelligibility, with the geographically distant ones mutually incomprehensible.
These disparities are related to various foreign countries’ invasions and occupations of distinct regions. However, in modern culture, these geographical differences usually constitute nothing more than a communication barrier among Italians. Today, more than 90% of Italian people speak standard Italian. The language is one of the most studied foreign languages in the world.
Modern Italian – A Remnant of Old Romance Languages
It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that the language used by educated Tuscans became the language of the new country. The unification of Italy in 1861 had a huge influence not only on the political scene, but also on the social, economic, and cultural landscape.
Literacy rates soared when they mandates schooling. Likewise, many people left behind their local dialect in favor of the new national language.
The Italian language has has a significant influence on the Western world including in areas of food and music. A cappella, maestro, crescendo, and soprano are only a few examples of Italian loanwords. When musical notation debuted during the Renaissance, many composers and musicians were Italian. This is why Italian became the standard language for musicians and music lovers.
Additionally, there are many Italian words that we use in the English language including; broccoli, propaganda, and fiasco.
Wrapping Up the Origins of the Italian Language
The Italian language is one of the most beautiful romance languages. We hope that learning about the origins of the Italian language increased your appreciation for the language!
Planning a trip to Italy? Knowing more about romance languages can help make your trip even more enjoyable.
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