My Zio e Zia arrived from Calabria yesterday and we had a big family dinner at my parents’house. The food was delicious and it was great to catch up and see how everyone is doing. It’s also fun to speak in our Calabrese dialect. I’ve lived in several parts of Italy and have come across many dialects. The famous Tuscan dialect that eliminates the letter “c”and replaces it with an “h”…. hasa = casa and you may have heard the famous drinking of a Coca-Cola with a cannuccia? the Sardinians,who like to jumble their words,“scherzando stai?”my aunt from Puglia says,Shamu = Andiamo and among the ones you know of,there are so many other dialects that you never knew existed. I can remember my barber in Bologna would speak to his friends while cutting my hair….. I didn’t understand a word,not even one. We have our dialect as I’m sure many of you do as well. The thing that amazes me about dialects is that they can be languages in themselves and they can vary from town to town. I’m sure our dialect from Calabria is different from dialects in other parts of Calabria. In our dialect we replace a lot of “Fs”with “Hs”for instance Cahe = Caffe’or cutting words short,which is a big part of many dialects:iamu = andiamo. In addition,there are words in every dialect that are unique and completely different from the correct corresponding word in the Italian language.
I’ve noticed that dialects are slowly fading and many of my younger cousins in Calabria speak proper Italian. They are more prevalent with the older generations but I imagine that they will continue to fade. Growing up,I always assumed that we spoke Italian in our house but in fact,we spoke our dialect. I’m sure many Italian American families do the same. In addition,Italian American families who do speak dialect,usual speak the dialect that was used when their families left Italy,so many are older dialects……not to mention that over time,they are infused with English influence. You know what I’m talking about!……those words that are not Italian and not quite English. It’s a made up word,Italenglish or Engtalian. My father has been here for over 30 years and he likes to use certain words that no matter how many times you correct him,he will continue to use them. One of my favorite “dad words”is Yesternight = last night. Ieri sera would be yesternight…. right? makes sense to dad.
To me there is a beauty in dialects,an individuality but there are people who think dialects divide Italy…. to those people,I say “blah,blah,blah”which in our dialect means….. blah,blah,blah.
Hi Joe. Yesternight is a wonderful word! We have yesterday..why not yesternight?
Dear Joe,I really hope you are recording this. No honestly,it’s a part of linguistic history. This type of discourse will disappear forever without someone like you making a note of the changes. (Contact David Crystal –immediately!!!)
On the dialect note,I must tell you about Dan on the London Underground. His dialect is Milanese and one day he was sitting behind his English newspaper when a young lad got on the tube with two young girls.
‘Young lad’started spouting off (in Milanese)about the sights to see in London.
He was trying to impress the girls,but getting it very wrong indeed. For example,he’d say:“We’ll visit Buckingham Palace which is right next door to the Tower of London,etc. All this in a very loud voice. (Why do all tourists shout?)
After a bit,Dan could take no more. He lowered his paper and said:“Ue’,bel fieu,fam un piaser:o te disi i robb cum i en,o te tasi,va ben?”
Needless to say,‘young lad’was gob-smacked.
It’s me again. Dan says I should translate because even Italians wouldn’t understand:
“Hey you,do me a favour:either get your facts straight or shut up! OK?”
What a great post! I can’t tell you how deflated I was to leave Tuscany,where I was learning to speak Italian with a Tuscan accent and understanding and speaking not too badly,then to go to Rome,where I couldn’t understand one word people were saying to me. I just kept listening and waiting for a word I understood to register.
It is sad though,about the dialects disappearing. Many languages the world over are.:( Sounds like a god project for a grant or a language grad student!
I’m with you Joe,the dialects are interesting and give each place its own character. Although,I do have to admit,that when I came here I was horrified that I hardly understood a word anyone was saying,until I figured out that they weren’t speaking Italian.
Hi Joe,i jut spent the whole day with the family in Piemontese dialect and when one cousin was telling funny family stories,I didn’t have a clue what he was telling. Fortunately another cousin who grew up in Argentina and her husband speak Italian so I at leas could follow their stories.
I LOVE dialect,and often try to come up with something new (that surprisingly,I get somewhere from the internet) with my father-in-law. He always gets a kick out of it,and said that if I would spend just one week with him and mama,they’d have me speaking only dialect,not italian.
I think I would like dialects about 10 years from now,when I know the national language….but until then…I remain confused and challenged enough without throwing in totally new words and sounds
Sounds like you had a great dinner!!
I just returned from my parents village in Calabria (Maida) and I grew up learning the Maidese dialect. It wasn’t until highschool did I learn “proper”Italian. Now when I visit Maida,the people get a kick out of hearing a younger person speaking the dialect so well. Like you said Joe,I thought my dialect was “Italian”. I was quite disturbed when I learned the real words for things in my Italian class asking the teacher “well we say it like this,why do you say it like that?”
Hello from Brooklyn,NY! My husband was born in a small town in Reggio Calabria and his famliy immigrated to the US when he was a child about They all speak dialect,but when we visited his home town a few years ago hardly anyone still did! They actually told him it was nice he kept the “old ways”
I’m glad I found your blog and I’m going to read more of your posts.
Ciao!
Pat
I think so too Maryann!:)
I love it Sally! You never know who’s listening.
It would be a great project Homebody…. hmmm.
MB…it is VERY difficult to understand some dialects.
Marla it seems like when people speak dialect…they speak 4x faster. I haven’t heard the piemontese dialect but I imagine it’s difficult to understand.
Rowena,it’s crazy to see it written isn’t it?
I hear ya Robin…. I still find myself switching and getting confused.
Maria,my grandparents have an amazing view of Maida (and San Pietro Maida) from their balcony…especially at night! I have been there. Have you read Unto the Sons by Gay Talese? He tells a story of his family (from Maida)it’s the first book on my recommended book list. I loved it!
Hi Pat,thanks for stopping by,we have some friends from Reggio Calabria that still speak their dialect. It’s an interested accent:)
This is my problem as an outsider,I’ve been going to Italy for 15 years now and am still useless at speaking Italin but I blame the dialect:) All of Bru’s family speak it so I find it really hard to learn anything or maybe I should just accept it’s me;)
I love this post Joe,it reminds me of my family. I grew up wearing a La Swetta (sweater) when it was cold and for Easter my candy went in a La Baskita (basket). There are so many and each one funnier than the next but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Loraine…I do not envy you. Dialect is tough to learn and even tougher to match up with proper Italian. Good luck to you!
I love it Julie…. we had “u storu”(the store) and “meni stritu”(main street). Gotta love it!
Hey Joe,lovely blog. I have learned the Sicilian Dialect when I was a kid. My parents being from Termini Imerese,Palermo,Sicilia…blah blah…and when I was there they laughed when I spoke to them but thought I was carina for trying. Anyway,now adays I hear they are going to school to learn how to speak the dialect or something like that…too funny!
Ok,ok…I am almost the odd one out here. Sorry,Joe. But,like MM and Lorraine,it is harder than hell to learn Italian when people are speaking dialect. Just today Pep and I visited some friends and they complimented me on my Italian (which I fear still has far to come). However,when we got home,I asked P how they could compliment me,when I missed so much of what “the wife”was saying. You know what he told me?? She was speaking a lot of dialect.
It is also funny when people argue with you that they aren’t speaking dialect. This happened at lunch today…I said,“sorry guys,correct me if I am wrong,cause I’m not Italian,but FRIDU (not sure of the spelling here,but he was saying fa freddo) isn’t Italian! Pep laughed out loud and confirmed I was right.
I have much more to say on this topic…but I’ll let your blog rest!
Lucia…it’s like a novelty language now! We should be glad we know a dialect:)
Cherrye,I feel you…especially because you’re living in my neck of the woods:) I still have a hard time when I see it spelled out. There can’t possibly be a correct spelling for dialect but I’m probably wrong.
Yea,I don’t think Calabrese dialect is going anywhere fast. I hear it all of the time!! My English students (private lessons) tell me they speak it at school –with their teachers!!
My FIL even dialects people’s names. The other day,he called one of the construction workers,“Serahino”instead of “Serafino.”Which is funny. But,the guys name is Agostino!
ha ha
Dialects should be preserved and far from dividing Italy they make the richness of this country,together with all the different foods,wines etc. … Let those people blah blah blah lol.
Great blog,Joe. Trying to get into you italoamericani I keep discovering wonderful things that warm up my heart.
Continua accusì
Oooops …what am I saying? This is dialect (from South)
Ciao
grazie Man of Roma!