Is Sicilian a language, or just a dialect of Italian?
I am learning Italian, and I watched the Godfather part II to see if I could pick up some of what they say, seeing as how half of the movie is in (I think) Italian. Many words that I knew I matched up with the English subtitles, but some words seemed wrong or pronounced incorrectly. I thought at first that maybe Sicilians just have their own dialect of the Italian language, but after some research online, some sources say that Sicilian is its own Italic/Romance language that is similar to Italian. So is Sicilian its own language, or just a dialect of Italian?
Sicilian?? Italian??
well my mom is from Sicily but her and her whole side of the family claim their Italian.... and they speak Italian.... So idk what I'm getting at exactly with this... I understand Sicily is the southern part of Italy 'the boot' But if they're all Sicilian why don't they speak it? Why do they speak Italian... I grew up believing I was half Italian? Or am I half Sicilian? Just made me ponder more about it because I tried looking up the dessert 'cannoli' but it came up as a Sicilian dessert instead. All I knew was my moms family, my aunts, grandma they all love cannoli's. So Which is the best way to describe the half of me passed on from them then? sicilian or italian....? Since they speak Italian fluently and have never claimed it was Sicilian language? sry my thoughts are as jumbled around as much as this question/explaination is.
What are the differences between the Italian and Sicilian languages?
Sicilian is a dialect of Italian, which means while sharing most of the basic grammar structure, it has a very distinctive sound to it and a peculiar etimology.It is one of the most recognisable among the many dialects of Italy, due in part to its unique sound, and of course for being extensively featured in popular culture. Its spread has been also greatly enhanced by the post-war waves of migration from the south to the north of Italy of people in search of work.The average italian can understand what a sicilian is talking about reasonably well, and can also mimic the sound fairly convincingly, but actually speaking the dialect is an entirely different matter.Italians, especially newer generations, still like to retain their local dialect in everyday situations but are always expected to learn and speak correct “mainstream” Italian primarily - having a completely neutral accent used to be a requisite for being employed in national television newscasting.In addition, due to the similarities between the dialects and the main language, people who are used to mostly speaking dialect generally merge the two to facilitate those who they know may have trouble understanding it in social situations.Otherwise, such as during social gatherings among locals from the same town, people will freely speak what is called “dialetto stretto” (strict, “tight” dialect), a “pure” version of the dialect spoken in very quick fashion, which is more often than not so different in sound and etimology from mainstream Italian that only true locals can effectively understand it.Attesting to its popularity, some peculiar words from the Sicilian dialect have made it into mainstream spoken Italian: words like “minchia”, Sicilian for “c*ck” (the male member, not the farm animal), have almost substituted or reached equal status with its Italian counterpart, “cazzo”. Both of these are obviously very vulgar terms and should not be used except in friendly conversation, akin to the f-word in English.
Why do Italians hate Sicilians?
Mario, Northern Italians (Neapolitans) don't care for Sicilians for the following reasons. 1-The Mafia 2-Skin color differences. Northern Italians are mostly fair-skinned. 3-Cultural differences-Northern Italians are mostly European influenced and look towards Switzerland, Germany, and France. Sicilians are mixed with Arab, African, Berber, Greek, Maltese, and Egyptian. 4-Language-Northen Italians speak pure Italian. Sicilians speak a language that is not understood by Northerners. It's equal to a French speaker listening to and/or trying to read and hear French Creole or Patois. They are as Linguistic call being mutually incomprehensible. 5-Econmic-Milano, Torino, is financially more in line with Europe than Palermo and other Sicilian cities. 6-History-Mussolini spoke very harshly of Southern Italians and Sicilians in particular.
Is italian a hard language to learn??
Ciao! No, Italian is not especially difficult. Like any other language, it requires determination and dedication to learn well, which will be amply rewarded. I have been learning Italian for 10 years and speak it fluently. In Sicily, they speak both Sicilian (which is not a dialect of Italian) and Italian. Sicilian and Italian evolved independently from different dialects of vulgar Latin. Italian is based on the Florentine dialect of the fourteenth century and is spoken all over Italy including Sicily, although Sicilians have quite a distinctive accent when speaking Italian, which can be very difficult to understand if you're not used to it. There are some older Sicilians who do not speak Italian, but all Sicilians understand Italian. About 60% of Italians are bilingual in Italian (the national language) and the native language which is particular to the region where they were brought up. Sicilian is one such language and there are dozens of others. Italy is by far the most linguistically diverse country in Europe. Don't allow yourself to be misled ... linguistically, these languages are separate languages, but at least 90% of Italians have been brainwashed to believe they are dialects of Italian. The terms "dialect" and "language" are among the most emotive and controversial in Italian. I'm going to Sicily this weekend and looking forward to using my Sicilian, which isn't up to the level of my Italian. They are both wonderful languages. Learning Italian is the best thing you could ever do.
Is Sicilian language (dialect) intelligible to average Italian citizen?
It depends on what you mean by “dialect”. If you’re talking about the regional languages of Sicily in the fullest sense, then yes it would be very difficult if not impossible for a speaker of only standard Italian to make heads or tails of it. But these days, what people refer to as dialects in Italy is really more of a mixup of regional terms and regional pronunciation of standard Italian. It’s only really the very old people who might still know the “pure” regional language as it used to be, prior to the influence of standardised Italian being taught in schools everywhere. These older languages usually have not only a very distinct vocabulary but also quite often grammatical features that can differ quite a lot from standard Italian.Interestingly, I’ve heard that sometimes the children of people who emigrated from Italy from places like Sicily have a strange experience when they return there to visit. Because they grew up with grandparents who left the country a long time ago and took with them the regional language as they knew it, sometimes when these kids go back there, people are amazed to hear that they speak a “dialect” which sounds like the old days. They often know and use words which have been dropped from the current “dialect” in favour of the standard Italian word (pronounced with a local accent), and they sometimes also have strange construction of grammar which has also been left behind. People of current generations in Italy will often find them amusing, mostly because to them it sounds like very uneducated speech and also because it feels peculiar to hear a younger person speaking like what to them sounds like an old peasant. This is because in the time that elapsed since the emigrants left, there has been a kind of unspoken reform of the local language to reshape it into something quite different, somewhat a compromise between the old pure regional language and formal Italian, which they can use without feeling like they are uncivilised. Obviously people who grew up outside of Italy with grandparents who spoke to them in the “dialect” of their time were not privy to this linguistic update, so they end up being the last carriers of forgotten terms, sayings and even entirely lost words.
Is Sicilian widely spoken in Sicily or would it be more common to hear Italian on a regular basis?
Sicilians-born and not well-traveled would probably speak Sicilian among themselves but “code switch” to Italian if appropriate with non-Sicilians or in official cirmcustances/national media.There was no single Italian language in the Italian peninsula for most of its history. There were many related languages spoken in dozens of republics and monarchies in the Italian peninsula, but there were largely spoken languages by a largely illiterate population.In the 1860’s, the language used in the Vatican, Tuscan under the Accademmia della Crusca (Florence), was chosen as the national language, henceforth called “Italian”, that was subsequently the basis for national educational texts and national media.So, today, Italians still define themselves first by their “region” (or formerly independently country/State until the 20th Century) with its language (now incorrectly called “Italian dialect”). Most Italians speak their regional language at home but study/consume standard Italian.All Italians, regardless of region, if schooled, “code switch” (jump between two dialects/languages) to “Italian/Tuscan” in:a) dealing with Italians from other regionsb) governmentc) writingd) foreignerse) administrative and legal proceedings
Are Sicilians considered Italian or not?
I heard someone say Siclians weren't really Italian because their language and history is different to that of Italy and they are perceived differently as being like "3rd world Italians" what do you think?