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1 - Varieties of language

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

J. J. Kinder
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia, Perth
V. M. Savini
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia, Perth
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Summary

The Italian language today

Italian is the official language of the Republic of Italy. It is spoken by the 58 million inhabitants of Italy and in the Canton Ticino area of Switzerland, as well as by many millions of Italian migrants and their descendants in many parts of the world, especially Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The Italian language has a fascinating and in many ways unique history, which reflects the political and cultural history of Italy. The Italian language was based, during the Renaissance, on an idealized version of fourteenth-century Florentine. Because of the political fragmentation which beset Italy up to the Risorgimento, however, this “language” was predominantly used in writing, while for everyday speech the usual form of communication remained the local dialects. This was true, with exceptions of course, for all parts of Italy and for all social classes. Since political unification in 1861, the language has become universally adopted, and in the process has adapted rapidly to the demands of a modern, diversified society.

The Italian standard is therefore a modified version of fourteenth-century Florentine dialect. This standard is found in good dictionaries and is taught to classical actors and to newsreaders on national television. However, the Italian spoken and, to a lesser extent, written in most everyday situations differs from this standard in various ways. Furthermore, all Italians show their regional origin by their accent.

Type
Chapter
Information
Using Italian
A Guide to Contemporary Usage
, pp. 1 - 29
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

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  • Varieties of language
  • J. J. Kinder, University of Western Australia, Perth, V. M. Savini, University of Western Australia, Perth
  • Book: Using Italian
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840791.002
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  • Varieties of language
  • J. J. Kinder, University of Western Australia, Perth, V. M. Savini, University of Western Australia, Perth
  • Book: Using Italian
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840791.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Varieties of language
  • J. J. Kinder, University of Western Australia, Perth, V. M. Savini, University of Western Australia, Perth
  • Book: Using Italian
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840791.002
Available formats
×