montevelino.it and document

The following text 'was drawn up at the Regional Conference on Languages, promoted to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 18 November 1999 by the Parliamentary Group Autonomist European Free Alliance and the Greens.

Languages spoken in the territory of the Italian State Proposals for a policy of Integral Written by: Dr. . Bolognesi - linguist University of Groningen (Netherlands) Matteo Incerti - Journalist

Introduction: The proposals presented here, we set ourselves the goal to identify, based on technical criteria as possible, minority languages present in the State italiano.Comunque than the problem of the distinction between languages and dialects, it is important to clarify immediately that such a distinction, beyond certain limits, technically impossible, as well as politically presumptuous. Includes in particular the words of Guido Barbina: "Let us pass, because purely academic and sometimes misleading pretext the problem of differentiating between and , such a distinction would be impossible, there would certainly clarify the issue of proper classification of cases Italian linguistic differences. "In contrast to widespread belief among the uninitiated, when a linguist speaks of the" dialect of the language Y "is not describing a relationship between two linguistic entities hierarchically connected, but only trying to save the many words that would need to repeat that he is referring to a linguistic system X, which for convenience may indicate varieties socially and / or geographically defined a family of languages can be shown sufficiently homogeneous, for convenience, as the language of Y. From a strictly technical point of view, in fact, the dialect X can also justifiably be described as language as sufficiently defined and limited, while the Y language should be more appropriately defined as a family of dialects Y. These definitions, however, do not take account of that no language, not even spoken to in a small mountain village, is a completely homogeneous system: young people speak in a manner at least slightly different from the elderly, and so women than men, and so did the different social classes tend to differentiate linguistically. This situation is already very smooth even at very local level is greatly complicated when one takes into account the different dialects, ie the variety of language that are used in separate territories. Considering this reality, means that the sum of all these local dialects and social can also justifiably be described as language: a family of dialects which share a number of features, while excluding others. The decision about which are the characteristics that distinguish a language other is always at least partly arbitrary, because the languages belong to language families in turn formed by similar languages, often neighbors and having a common origin. In practice it often happens that for convenience we use geographical definitions of languages and dialects, rather than strictly linguistic. Technically, therefore, the terms language and dialect are, if not completely equivalent, of course interchangeable and their use does not imply no clear genetic distinction and / or hierarchical. Less than ever is an implicit value judgments. When you use the term dialect, therefore, a linguist does is warn the reader or listener who is narrowing its focus to a limited range of linguistic phenomena that are present in a given variety (little or known), and absent closely related varieties of the same language (but already known). For example, defining as Sesto campidanese southern Sardinian dialect, it immediately provides a range of information on the vague language spoken in the village of Sestu (Prov. of Cagliari) .. Use of the terms language and dialect that you instead in politics imply a hierarchical relationship between the two entities and value judgments, the language would be something superior to the dialect and the dialect of a degenerate form, or at least lower limits of language. This use of linguistically unfounded two terms is the result of a very common choice policy that restricts the use of the term (honorary title, one might say) language the official language of the state, applying to other languages the status of dialects. The Norwegian linguist Einar Haugen has provocatively illustrated this distinction pseudo-language with the following words: "A language is a dialect with an army and a fleet behind. Slightly more neutral in terms we can say that in politics usually gives dignity to dialects of the language of those who have means of pressure sufficient to be recognized as a community distinct from the ethnic-linguistic majority. Once the status of language (and its funding), minority languages can also be equipped with all those instruments, outside the language systems themselves, featuring the official languages of the states: a standard standard and dictionaries written in a professional manner , teaching in schools, developing prestigious texts, use occasions and official documents. Contrary to what one normally thinks, they are the consequence and not the cause, the official status of a language. The dialects are free only because of political weakness and / or economic communities in which language is spoken. In preparing this document the different minority languages spoken today in the territory of the Italian State, we rejected the pseudo-linguistic distinction between languages and dialects. Instead we have divided the various idioms into two groups according to their political position: first, those whose diversity and specificity compared to are already internationally recognized and are being recognized by the Italian State, and other than those which are still totally denied and discriminated by the state, but regional and even by international studies are recognized as languages, namely English as distinct linguistic systems. In practice, our analysis shows that all so-called are separate languages, not dialects of Italian. Except the Tuscan and Roman, so-called Italian dialects are all languages that have developed independently and different from the Florentine was the basis for Italian standard: The and , for example, no less the Sardinian and Friulian. 1. Languages being recognized by the Italian State In fact Italian politics unscrupulous use of arbitrary definitions of language and dialect is so far served to circumvent the constitutional providing for the protection of linguistic minorities. Language rights of minorities have so far been labeled circumvented dialects rather than languages, all the minority languages that enjoy the protection of a state bordering Italy, in practice, not all minority languages French, German and Slovenian , whose protection is guaranteed by international treaties. Today, fortunately, the attitude towards ethnic minorities language is changing slowly in Italy. The Chamber of Deputies approved a measure (Act 196), which now awaits Senate approval (Act No. 3366) concerning the development of a first group of regional languages and ethnic and linguistic minorities. This law is an important step for languages recognized and includes the introduction of bilingualism in the institutions and in education, but discrimination still other regional languages, arbitrarily excluded from the measure. In the original text of the measure there was an article of the law providing for a future extension of languages recognized by giving de facto legislative power in the regions rather than the rule. But the political action of the Deputies of the National Alliance, which found on this convergence of Deputies of the opposition center-and even of large sections of the majority of center, has meant that this article of law was removed from the final text. Regarding this point, we consider very serious decision to deny the regions and communities' right to call themselves the Premises as legitimate representatives of ethnic and linguistic minorities within its territory. It was adopted instead once again the principle of reason of state, which is the majority to dispose at will of minority rights. To deny the rights of minorities, while recognized by the Constitution, is still sufficient for the majority to deny the existence of these, in practice just continue to define the minority languages as dialects. As an example of the arbitrariness of this situation applies in the case of : Until 1995 the Italian government spoke of Sardinian dialects, negating the dignity of language, two years after it was approved by the government, the regional law 26/97 on the . Linguistically Sardinia nothing had changed, but in Italy had changed the government majority.

Ethnic-linguistic communities recognized by the Law 169

Albanians - 98. 000 people living in the southern regions, namely in , ,

Puglia and .

South Tyrolean - 290. 000 people living in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen (65.43% of the population in ). These people speak German.

Carinthia - 2. 000 people living in the Province of in (0.38% of the population of the Province of Udine)

Carnian - 1. 400 people living in the Province of in the (0.66% of the population of the )

Catalani - 18. 000 people living in the city of Alghero in Sardinia, who speak Catalan and Catalan origins.

Croatia - 2. 600 people living in the Region (0.79% of the population in that region)

Franco-Provençal-Valle d' - about 90. 000 people living in the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont. The larger communities living in the city of Aosta (60% of the population) and (0.89% of the urban population).

French-speaking - 20. 000 people in the Aosta Valley (17.33% of the population residing in the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta).

Friuli - 526. 000 people living in the Autonomous Region of Friuli. This ethnic group represents 56.32% of the population in Friuli. The Friuli region has its own law for the promotion of the and several local governments, including that of Udine, approved with one abstention or opposition groups of CCD Friuli (conservative Christian Democrats) and Alleanza Nazionale, initiatives implement bilingualism.

Greek - 20. 000 people living in the Province of (0.89% of the population) and the Province of , (1.88% of the population of the province of Lecce).

Ladin - 55. 000 people living in , South Tyrol and the Province of Belluno,

Veneto. The Ladin in South Tyrol are the 4,19% of the local population in the Province of 1, 69% and 10% of the Province of Belluno. For elections held in Trentino-South Tyrol there is a special law passed in 1998 to award the Ladin ethnic group elected its own political representation.

Occitan - 178. 000 people, including 50. About 000 regularly speak the . The Occitans are resident in the Province of , in Piedmont (4.19% of the population) in the and one of Imperia, . At the cultural level, the Occitan world in recent years is experiencing a "new spring" initiatives, concerts, publications. These projects are implemented with the help of EU funds.

Sardis - 1269. 000 people who live and reside in the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and representing 77.48% of the population of the island. The Region of Sardinia has been implementing in recent years, several plans to develop a standard written form, while protecting all local variants of the Sardinian language. Projects are initiated by the teaching of the Sardinian provinces and several municipalities.

Slovenians - about 70. 000 people living in the city of (9.6% of the population) in the province of (8% of the population) and Udine (3% of the population)

Walser, Cimbri, Mocheni - The exploitation of these ethnolinguistic groups is through the protection of German ethnic German living in South Tyrol, despite these communities are not resident on that territory. The Walser residing in Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont in the provinces of and , the Cimbri Veneto ( and ) and Trentino (Trento) and Mocheni in the Autonomous Province of Trento. * Promotion of the Roma language and culture of and Roma Initially, various legislative proposals, also included the enhancement of 130. 000 citizens of Roma and Sinti. Subsequently the law was changed because the majority of the did not consider that the requirements for recognition, as there was a reference to this culture to a specific territory. Following its own traditions, in fact, the Gypsy communities are not settled, but mainly nomads.

2. Languages discriminated against by the Italian State

Veneto The , spoken in the Veneto Region is one of those discriminated against and "cut" by the Italian state that classifies incorrectly as a dialect of Italian. According to research the 1998 Istat (Italian Statistical Institute), rather than use Italian, 52% of the inhabitants mainly speak the language of the Veneto region, which for a thousand years was the official language of the Serenissima Republic of Venezia.Nel March 1995, the Regional Council of Veneto, on the initiative of Councillor Hector Begg (now the Regional Council of Veneto in Europe), published a "Manual Handwriting Veneta Unitarian." Several of the Administrative municipal Veneto have also adopted the Venetian-Italian bilingualism in their acts. During the past legislative Veneto Region were presented by several groups, a number of initiatives in support of the Venetian language and a motion for its recognition was presented on 20. 5. 1998, Hector Beggiato as the first signatory. A variant of the Venetian language, Talian, spoken by hundreds of thousands of descendants of immigrants from Veneto in , was decreed for a week, the official language in Serafina Correa, State of Rio Grande do Sol, Brazil. The Venetian language is classified quite separate standards in several international studies such as UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages (1993-1996) Professor Tapani Salminen, University of Helsinki el', Languages of the World, 13th Edition, published in the of America by the Summer Institute of Linguistics. The Venetian is one of the clearest examples of the bad faith of those who want to discriminate languages based on their alleged inferiority: the mother tongue of several important personalities of the past as the explorer Marco Polo or the writer , was not the 'Italian-standard but the Venetian.

Piedmontese This language is spoken in the Piedmont of nature Gallo-Romance. The Italian state instead relegated to the rank of "dialect" (intended as corrupt) Italian-Tuscan. This despite the existence of a document of the Council of Europe (doc. 4745/12. 10. 81) that recognizes the Piedmont as a separate language, while a law of the Piedmont Regional Council (No. 37/97, the petitioner, Red) recognizes this idiom at the regional level, while also providing education optional in scuole.Lo Italian State did not consider and recognize the value tral Piedmont Regional or Minority Languages legally recognized. Against this decision, both the President of the Regional Government of Piedmont Enzo Ghigo (letter, 26. 5. 1998) that the Regional Council of Piedmont virtually unanimously by 35 counselors on 36, failed to Communist Refoundation (resolution 12. 10. 99 ) protested officially to the regional level there is now a Governo.A Look for , which brings together over twenty cultural organizations that deal with recovery and executive training school for future teaching in schools. The lack of recognition by the Italian State, however, prevents a more vigorous action by the Municipalities and Communities in the field internazionale.Il first historical document found in Piedmontese language dates from the twelfth century and is the Sermon Subalpengh, a document of a religious nature doing battle against corruption in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Studies such as UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages Professor Salminen, The Language Institute Ethnlogue Scottish Isle of Sky Sabhal Mor Outaig, classify the Piedmont as a separate English language itself. On the cultural level, Piedmont and its language and culture for years regularly participate through cultural associations, the Festival of Interceltic Loriant.

Emiliano Romagnolo The Language of Emilia and Romagna, spoken in the Region Emilia Romagna, they are also classified by the Italian dialects (single variety) of Italian and Tuscany, and not likely to be recognized as distinct languages. This is also a false state. Demonstrated by the fact that UNESCO Red Book for Endangered Languages Professor Tapani Salminen (which is also a member of the Commission of UNESCO, dedicated to Regional or Minority Languages) recognizes the language as Emiliano Gallo-Romance and Italo-Romance . Among other things, the language is also spoken in the State of San Marino according to UNESCO. The same recognition is dall'Ethnologue, who speaks of Emilia and Romagna as "structurally separated from English language," ('structurally separate English Language'). For the Romagna in particular, another important recognition comes from Meic Stevens refers to it as a separate language from English and part of the sub-regional administrative level romagnola.A Emilia, Emilia Romagna and in 1994 enacted a law while calling these languages "dialects" (Law No. 45, 7. 11. 1994 Protection and enhancement of dialects and Emilia Romagna) also provides the opportunity to fund initiatives scolastiche.A the initial funding in 1995, in recent years the law has not been used and promoted properly by the government of the Region Emilia Romagna. Given the pseudo-linguistic distinction made by the Italian State, however, the term "dialect", introduced in the text of regional law, prevents a further step towards official recognition. One of the objections being raised against the recognition of Emilia and there are several variations (dialects) and a standard written language. Who moves this argument confuses cause and effect: all non-standard languages are missing, in fact, a standard form. This comes, of course, following a formal recognition that makes possible and necessary to develop a standard form. Sardinian, for instance, already recognized for years in Europe and in the process of recognition in the Italian officer does not have a written standard and instead has many local variations, exactly as all the languages that have not yet undergone the action leveling and approval of a language policy centralizzata.È the same situation Emilian or other regional languages, still not officially recognized and relegated from the legislative point of view and psychological state of the ghetto "dialects." Although there a standard language, the Emilian when speaking in their local variant can understand each other without major problems. In the Emilia Romagna and in recent years there has been a revival of the musical programs and even cultural initiatives focus on spoken in this region. There are also bands of giovani.Riguardo schooling, unfortunately not yet widespread, is to signal a successful experiment, done in 1979-80 by the headmaster Gaston Tamagnini at the State School "M. Buonarroti" factory in province of Reggio Emilia. In this experimental intervention, students were taught for two months, the local language and culture. Experiments as a positive use of language schools were opened in Romagna in the Elementary School "Martyrs Fantini" Cervia (Ravenna) by Professor Claudia Benedetti and Fabiana rushes. At the level TV, broadcasts daily language variant in Reggio Emilia and Bologna are received from two local private broadcasters Teletricolore (The Almanac of Auro Franzoni) and Sixth Network (News Bulgnais). The pocket dictionary Language Bologna / Emilia Luigi Lepri and Daniele Vitali, published in 1999 by the publishing house in a few weeks Vallardi sold several thousand copies, and is now ready for a second printing. This success speaks volumes on the interest of citizens / public on the rediscovery and exploitation into the future, of their roots.

Lombard UNESCO Red Book of Languages Endangerd also recognizes the status, belonging to the Gallo-Romance. And it is the Lombard, and the Italian-Tuscan, which is spoken by over 300. 000 people in Canton () and also in some valleys of Trentino, bordering on , the study by UNESCO and the Etnologue. In general all the Lombard spoken "are very different standard English" and according to the study of Ethnologue "speakers can be seamlessly bilingual. In Ticino, local time from the County implement a policy for the promotion of Lombard spoken unfortunately, is not emulated by the Lombardy Region. This year, on 26-27 March at the has played a major conference on "Cultural Archives, orality and writing." Franco Luràdel Center for Vocabulary of dialects of Italian Switzerland-VSI) and John Bonfandini University of have brought in their intervention ("Issues regarding the establishment of an integrated archive of written and spoken dialects Lombard) the creation of an archive lombardofone spoken of. On the Internet there are several initiatives of individuals and associations in favor of Lombard in its variants.

Ligurian The Ligurian Gallo-Romance language such as classified by UNESCO Red Book for Endangered Languages, from The University and Sabhal Mor Outaig Ethnologue, is spoken in a variant (the Monegasque) even in the of Monaco and the French territories bordering Liguria.A the private level, with musical groups and cultural associations, there are several initiatives for the restoration of this language, which today lacks a standard written form. At the administrative level, the municipality of Alassio three years ago renamed the place names in the language Ligurian implementing a bilingual policy. This was done in defiance of the prohibitions of the Italian legislation, dating back to rules issued during the fascist regime. Liguria is also considered by the Italian a "dialect" and not a , and as such is discriminated against.

Sicilian Sicily, which since 1946 has its own Statute of Autonomy, never fully implemented Sicilian politicians who have governed so far, is the only region with no special status is accorded its own language. Both UNESCO Red Book that Ethnologue and many other scholars argue that the Sicilian is a language distinct from English. According to Ethnologue Study Center of Dallas, "the Sicilian is different from English standards sufficiently to be considered a separate language", "is also a language still widely used and one can speak of bilingual speakers" in Sicilian and Italian standards . If at the cultural level there is still a thriving business that revolves on Sicily, at the political level there are still strong signs of revival of the battle for the exploitation of the . The resurgence in recent years of political movements as we Sicilian Sicilian Sicilian Action Party, or could, however, bring back this issue.

Neapolitan and southern regional languages Even the Neapolitan and southern Italian languages, according to UNESCO are considered separate languages English standard (Tuscan) and not dialects of it. L 'exploitation activities is carried out mainly by cultural associations and groups and musical theater. There are also Internet sites . Even the language of Naples and other southern spoken, suffer because they were confined by ufficale Italian culture in the "ghetto" of dialects. Like the Venetian, the Neapolitan can also make another claim an illustrious literary tradition.

Operational proposals for a policy based on linguistic This is the overview of the main regional languages spoken today in the territory of the Italian State. As you can see, this framework is broader than the language that the Italian Government is preparing to recognize by law 196. This law is an important step forward, but certainly enough for believers to the end in compliance with all identities, cultures and languages. How then to overcome discrimination as state and to avoid the "majority" purely statist and centralist decide which languages are to be valued and which those to be consigned to the ghetto "dialect"? Avoiding that standard forms of languages, including regional , are imposed on local variations?

Here are some ideas that can be applied not only in the Italian State. a) The policy of recognition and language development should not be decided and managed by the central government and the states, but by the Regions and other Local Authorities that are an expression of local communities. Thus the so-called "minorities" will leave the ghetto minority, to become really active community recognized with the same rights as "majority" state. International institutions should therefore take note of recognition implemented at regional level and not those at the state level. b) Establishing and educating a multilingual and multicultural policy. A multicultural society is possible only if the value of different cultures, indigenous and non-indigenous communities is mutual. And this can only happen if we start from the enhancement of local and regional cultures and languages, to get away even those of non-indigenous communities residing in the territory and the teaching of foreign languages to communicate with the outside world. In practice we must aim at a form of protection and education that could be called an onion, starting with the local culture to expand gradually toward the world. Xenophobia and racism can be fought successfully only with the protection of every culture. In this way no community feels excluded or "not at home, and xenophobic forces are seen as the excuse of private defense of indigenous. In this respect it is interesting to study and deepen the integrated method, based on a multicultural approach, which is being tested successfully in the Netherlands and are taken forward in Friesland hand in hand with the protection of the Frisian language. c) policy development and recognition of regional languages at European level must be implemented extensively in order to ensure full protection even in those languages now relegated to the ghetto Member of "dialects". d) It is necessary to understand who is responsible for the preservation of local cultures, languages and traditions, that "every dialect is a language" and that the distinction in value between language and dialect is a political fiction. Often in Italy, many cultural groups protect their regional languages (the case in Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Liguria) through commendable initiatives that have great success. But 160 years of propaganda- style centralist Jacobin with the motto "One state, one nation, one language" (as used in ) have lost their full awareness of cultural belonging to many of these regional communities, while doing clearly a policy of multilingualism, call their languages "dialects," so self-confinement in a ghetto-museum and denying further developments. The words written by Pier Paolo Pasolini Friuli during the Resistance, there is an example: "The" dialect "language becomes, when written and used to express the sentiments of the highest heart ... to express their ideas, their feelings and desires. " e) When recognized minority languages still without a standard written form, must be identified for official documents a minimal form intelligible to all speakers, who both can continue to use and exploit all local variants of that language.