th
# 69 •OCTOBER 5 , 2015
community and still very among people).
much alive.
Having said that, the perLet me address a few spe- spective on the use of diacifics: almost 95% of Ita- lect has changed through
lians speak the standard the years and it has pasItalian language, the mo- sed from a negative apdern form of the literary proach in the use of verlanguage as “invented” nacular, considered of low
by Dante Alighieri and, lineage and of lower quafor centuries, molded and lity, into a more positive
elevated into a proper approach. As a matter of
language. On the other fact, now dialects or fraghand, and on a more local ments of them, are consilevel, we can find dialects, dered a vital testimony of
that even if once were an old identity that is sang
spoken by the majority in modern songs, (think
of the people, in today’s about the contemporary
time they seem to be the music of great singers like
expressions of specific Pino Daniele, who would
classes: older generations sing in his Neapolitan diaand illiterate people (very lect and would become
rare considering the high popular beyond regional
rate of education in Italy). frontiers) or contemporary
Dialects, also seems to be theater or TV programs
spoken only in closed en- (the examples of Biagio
vironments (like home or/ Izzo, Aldo, Giovanni e Giaand in family gatherings) como, Lello Arena and so
and certainly not at official or formal events. In
addition to that, their presence seems to be more
evident in the South of
Italy (think about The Neapolitan or the Sicilian), in
the big islands (Sicily and
Sardinia) and in the North-East of Italy (Ven etian
areas are the ones were
the local dialects are very
much present and spoken
many others, or TV popular shows such as Benvenuti al Sud) in which the
regional essence and cultural identity are brought
to light and emphasized.
In sum, there is no evident
sign of the dialect disappearing: they cannot be
considered as extinguished forms of language
contaminated by the standard Italian that is always
innovating
itself
and
expanding. As a matter
of fact, dialects are continued to be spoken not as
a main vehicle of linguistic
expression, but rather as a
vibrant testimony of local
identity that are kept alive
by the vernacular and it
is passed to younger generations also in forms of
public ceremonies, food,
and festivities.
WE THE ITALIANS | 53
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