Lombard language

  • Indo-European Italic Romanesque Italoromanisch North Italian Galloitalisch

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Roa ( other Romance languages ​​)

Lmo

The term Lombard ( Lombard lumbaart ) refers to a group of related language varieties spoken in Ticino, Graubünden, in the Piedmont provinces of Novara and Verbania, in the Trentino and Lombardy. It is classified by Ethnologue and the Red Book on endangered languages ​​by UNESCO as a separate language. Due to the onset of at least since the 1970s tendency to use the written language as well as their language, the Lombardy is expanded greatly in decline and classified as endangered language.

The Lombard varieties can be broadly divided into two groups: Westlombardisch ( in Milan, Varese, Como, Novara, Verbania and Lecco and in the Swiss canton of Ticino and Graubünden) and Ostlombardisch ( Bergamo, Brescia and Crema, Trentino ). The Western Lombard varieties of the Valtellina and the Grisons are close to the adjacent Romansh variants.

  • 2.1 In Switzerland
  • 2.2 In Italy

Properties

Phonology

  • Unlike most other Romance languages, there are many Lombard dialects phonemic vowel quantity, for example, pas [ pa ː s] > Peace < vs. pass [ pas ]> step <, ciapaa [ ʧapa ː ]> taken m. < vs. Ciapa [ ʧapa ]> take <.
  • A typical characteristic of the Lombard, the know also neighboring Romanesque dialects, Romansh and French, is the palatalization of Latin / ū / and / ǒ / to / u / and / o /: Müür > Wall < (lat murus, it muro ), söör > ground < (Latin solum, it suolo ). .
  • As in the adjacent Roman dialects in the Romansh and in French auslautender vowel except / a / is apokopiert, mouth, for example, moon 'world' ( from Latin mundum; see it mondo. ).
  • Lombard knows widespread preservation of Latin / u /, as cur > run < (Latin currere, but Tuscan and therefore it correre. ); ture > Tower < (Latin turrim, however. torre toscanisch / it). Also elevation of Latin / o / to / u / as is common in the neighboring varieties, compare pude, pude, Pudi > to < (from Latin potire; see it potere. ).
  • The Latin cluster cl and gl- be to c (i ) - [ tʃ ], g (i ) - [ dʒ ] palatalized about ciamà > call < ( from Latin clamare; see it chiamare. ) Or Giera > gravel '( from Latin Glarea; see it ghiaia '. ).
  • The Lombardy knows then lenition of unvoiced plosives in intervocalic position, about fadiga > tired < ( from Latin fatigam; see it fatiga. ) MunEDA, moneda > coin money '( from Latin monetam; see it moneta. ).
  • More generally, for the dialects of northern Italy are characteristic monophthongization, Degeminierung, Affrizierung, intervocalic sonication, apocope and the associated Auslautdesonorisierung, see, for example pub > Egg < ( with monophthongization, apocope, Auslautdesonorisierung from Latin ovum ), noc [ nɔt͡ʃ ] > Night < ( with Affrizierung, apocope from Latin noctis ).

Morphology

On the morphological level of the " subtractive plural " is particularly noteworthy. Unlike most Indo-European languages ​​the plural is feminine in most cases not by a suffix or an inflected morpheme, but by eliminating the Auslauts marked: la dona > women <> i don > women <.

Syntax

Yet another typical characteristic of the Lombard is the post -verbal negation, which is unknown in the other Romance languages, for example a vöri minga > I do not want 'as opposed to the Italian io non voglio > I do not want ', or VOER el minga Trinca? > He does not want to drink? 'As opposed to the Italian egli non vuole bere? > He does not want to drink? <.

Lexis

Another typical feature is the significant use of idiomatic Phrasalverben (Verb -particle constructions ), for example trà > draw <, trà via v> erschwenden, throw away, ' trà sweet > vomit <, trà fö (ra) > away <; Maià > eat < Maia fö (ra) > waste <.

Use

In Switzerland

In Switzerland, the local Lombard varieties are generally better preserved and more alive. There will be less, no negative feelings associated in rural areas with the use of the Lombard in everyday life, also not when speaking with total strangers. In the urban part of the Ticino, the dialect speaking becomes increasingly restricted to the private sphere; the dialect draws accordingly from the public. Some radio and television programs, especially comedies, are occasionally sent from RTSI in Lombard. Moreover, it is not uncommon for people to respond in Lombard on spontaneous questions. There are even television advertising in Lombard. The most important research institution that deals with Lombard dialects, the CDE - Centro di dialettologia e di etnografia in Bellinzona, which is operated by the Canton of Ticino. Since 1952, it developed the multi-volume Vocabolario dei dialetti della Svizzera italiana (VSI ), and in December 2004, the CDE as its Executive Summary the Lessico dialettale della Svizzera italiana (LSI ), a five- volume dictionary for all Lombard varieties spoken in Switzerland.

Legally the Lombardy in Switzerland is not recognized as a language, the corresponding regions are considered as Italian-speaking. The Lombardy is regarded as an Italian dialect and treated analogously to the Swiss German dialects.

In Italy

In Italy, the Lombardy is nowadays rarely used for historical and social reasons. To speak deviating from the standard Italian language variety, considered as an expression of poor education or low social origin. Italian politicians advised on the use of the Lombard because the language was considered to hinder the emergence of a national identity. Today in the Italian region of Lombardy use people under forty years almost exclusively standard Italian language in everyday life, because the school and the media are influenced by Italian. Lombardischsprecher are almost always speak Italian with a stranger. The popularity of modern singers who sing in a Lombard variety, is a relatively new phenomenon in Switzerland and Italy.

Language family Italic languages SIL International Crema, Lombardy Sibilant Swiss Italian
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