| Western Lombard | |
|---|---|
| Milanes/Milanées, Insubrigh/Insübrich, lumbard ucidental | |
| Native to | Italy |
| Region | ItalyGrisons |
Native speakers | Unknown[1] |
| Dialects | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | west2343 |
| Linguasphere | ... 51-AAA-odj 51-AAA-odd ... 51-AAA-odj |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
Western Lombard is a group of varieties of theLombard language, aRomance language of theGallo-Italic subgroup. It is spoken primarily inItaly andSwitzerland. Within Italy, it is prevalent in the Lombard provinces ofMilan,Monza and Brianza,Varese,Como,Lecco,Sondrio, and parts ofCremona (excludingCrema and its immediate surroundings),Lodi, andPavia. In Piedmont, it is spoken in the provinces ofNovara,Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, the eastern area of theProvince of Alessandria (aroundTortona), and a small part ofVercelli (Valsesia). In Switzerland, Western Lombard is spoken in the canton ofTicino and part of the canton ofGraubünden.
Due to its historical association with theDuchy of Milan, Western Lombard is frequently referred to asInsubric (fromInsubria andInsubres) orMilanese. The termCisabduan ("Cisabduano", literally "on this side of theAdda River") is also used, particularly in linguistic contexts, following the terminology introduced by Clemente Merlo.[2]
In Italian-speaking contexts, Western Lombard is often mistakenly described as adialect ofItalian.[citation needed] However, Western Lombard and Standard Italian are distinct languages that are not mutually intelligible.[3] While some speakers of different Lombard varieties may experience difficulties in understanding each other and might rely on a standard form for communication, varieties of Western Lombard are generally mutually intelligible.[3] Western Lombard is considered relatively homogeneous compared toEastern Lombard, although it exhibits some internal variations.[4] These variations primarily involve differences in the pronunciation of thevowels/o/,/ɔ/, and the development of the affricate/ts/ into the fricative/s/.
Western Lombard lacks official status inLombardy or any other region where it is spoken.Italian is the soleofficial language in Lombardy.
The following outlines the diachronic trends in Western Lombard plural declension, usingMilanese orthography as a reference.
Most feminine nouns end in the inflection-a in the singular. The feminineplural form is typically non-inflected (e.g., singularla legora / plurali legor; singularla cadrega / plurali cadregh). The final vowel retains its original length, which is often long when followed by a voiced consonant and short when followed by a voiceless consonant. In certain cases, when the noun stem ends in specific consonant clusters, a final-i or a schwa may be inserted between consonants (for example, inMilanese: singularscendra, pluralscendr >scender). For adjectives, the plural and masculine forms are frequently identical.
The majority of masculine nouns are uninflected, with the masculine plural always being non-inflected (e.g., singularel tramvaj / plurali tramvaj; singularel lett / plurali lett). When the noun stem concludes with particular consonant groups, both singular and plural forms may insert a schwa between consonants. Otherwise, a final-o (pronounced /u/) is added to singular nouns, and-i is added for plurals.
Masculine nouns ending in-in or, less commonly,-ett, form plurals in-itt (e.g., singularfiolin / pluralfiolitt). Nouns ending in-ll have plurals in-j (e.g., singularel sidell / plurali sidej; singularel porscell / plurali porscej; singularel cavall / plurali cavaj). This pattern is also observed in the determinate article: singularell >el, pluralelli >ej >i.
Masculine nouns ending in-a are invariable and are generally proper nouns, words of Ancient Greek origin, or idiomatic terms such aspirla, a derogatory term for a person.
Western Lombard can be broadly categorized into four main dialect groups:lombardo alpino (spoken in the provinces of Sondrio and Verbania, theSopraceneri region ofCanton Ticino, and in Graubünden, Switzerland),lombardo-prealpino occidentale (spoken in the provinces of Como, Varese, and Lecco, as well as Lugano and neighboring areas in Canton Ticino),basso-lombardo occidentale (Pavia and Lodi), andmacromilanese (provinces of Milan, Monza, Novara, and Valsesia in Vercelli). These boundaries are approximations, as linguistic borders are not always congruent with political divisions such as provinces and municipalities.
Examples of Western Lombard varieties include:[citation needed]
Milanese or Meneghin (macromilanese)
Brianzöö (lombardo-prealpino occidentale -macromilanese)
Monzese
Comasco-Lecchese (lombardo-prealpino occidentale)
Varesino or Bosin (lombardo-prealpino occidentale)
Alpine Lombard (lombardo alpino, influenced byLadin)[5]
Ticinese (lombardo alpino) (influenced by Ladin)[6]
Southwestern Lombard (basso-lombardo occidentale)
Slangs
The following information is based on the Milanese dialect:[11]
| Labial | Dental/ Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop/ Affricate | voiceless | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | |
| voiced | b | d | d͡ʒ | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | voiceless | f | s | ʃ | ||
| voiced | v | z | ʒ | |||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | (ŋ) | ||
| Rhotic | r | |||||
| Approximant | lateral | l | (ʎ) | |||
| central | j | w | ||||
| Front | Central | Back | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i ĩ | y ỹ | u ũ | ||
| Close-mid | e ẽ | ||||
| Open-mid | ɛ | œ | ɔ | ||
| Open | a ã | ɑ | (ɒ) | ||
TheClassical Milanese orthography is the most historically significant writing system for Western Lombard. It was employed by prominent authors such asCarlo Porta (1775–1821) andDelio Tessa (1886–1939), and refined by the Circolo Filologico di Milano. Besides Classical Milanese, other orthographic systems exist, including Ticinese, Comasca, Bosina, Nuaresat, and Lecchese.[citation needed]
Western Lombard literature emerged in the 13th century with figures like Pietro da Barsegapè from Milan and Girard Pateg from Cremona. Uguccione da Lodi, roughly contemporary, authored theLibro, a poem of 702 verses addressing the creation of the world, the torments of hell, and moral themes.
Bonvesin da la Riva, a teacher ofgrammar, was a notable writer from the latter half of the 13th century. He produced works in both Latin and the vernacular. His most recognized work isLiber di Tre Scricciur, an ascetic poem that explores human existence and the twelve pains of Hell (Scrittura negra), the Passion of Christ (Scrittura rossa), and the death of the righteous and the twelve joys of Paradise (Scrittura dorata).
The late 15th century witnessed the development of Western Lombard literature, with poets such as Andrea Marone (1474-1527) and Lancino Curti (1460-1512). A notable work from theRenaissance period isRabisch (“Arabesque"), a collection of poems published in 1589 by the Milanese painter and literary theoristGian Paolo Lomazzo. Written in an invented language drawing from rural Lombard valley dialects, the collection features an unconventional narrative incorporating exotic animals, grotesque characters, and fantastical creatures.
More realistic depictions of plebeian life are found in theCanzoni of Fabio Varese (c. 1570-1630), apoète maudit of the early 17th century. These works, published only recently after a period of moralistic suppression,[12] mark a shift towards social realism in Western Lombard literature. Simultaneously, Western Lombard varieties began to be used in theatre.Francesco de Lemene, anArcadian playwright (1634-1704), contributed with plays likeLa sposa Francesca.Carlo Maria Maggi further developed dialect theatre, and his bilingual poetry and plays elevated Milanese dialect literature significantly. His works are characterized by a serious moral perspective and linguistic experimentation, ranging from dialectal plurilingualism inIl barone di Birbanza to social linguistic stratification in his later plays.
Maggi's dialect plays celebrate Milanese as a language, describing it inConcorso de' Meneghini as clear, unaffected, and seemingly "made on purpose just to tell the truth" (‘che apposta la pär fä / par dì la veritä’). They also established the archetypal Milanese characterMeneghino, a sensible, patient, and pragmatic plebeian servant, and depicted the ‘verzee’, Milan's main vegetable market, as a place of authentic and spontaneous Milanese culture inBarone di Birbanza.
Satirical poetry flourished in the 18th century, withDomenico Balestrieri and Carlo Antonio Tanzi (1710-1762) as prominent figures. This era also saw linguistic debates regarding the value and status of dialects.
Milanese dialect poetry reached a peak in the early 19th century with authors like Carlo Porta andTommaso Grossi. Porta's extensive poems andsonnets, ranging fromEnlightenment-era works likeI desgrazzi de Giovannin Bongee toRomantic social portraits such asLa Ninetta del Verzee,Lament del Marchionn di gamb avert, andLa nomina del cappellan, are particularly significant. These poems focus on the lives of the marginalized and impoverished, reflecting the emerging European emphasis onhuman rights. Despite anti-dialect sentiments among some literary circles, dialects became a medium for significant literary works. Recent scholarship suggests a substantial linguistic and poetic influence of Porta's work onManzoni's novelThe Betrothed.
Late 19th-century dialect theatre included comedies by Edoardo Ferravilla (1846-1916) and Carlo Bertolazzi (1870-1916). In the 20th century, as spoken use of dialects declined, they evolved into poetic languages. Delio Tessa andFranco Loi are considered important Italian dialect poets of the 20th century.
Today, a substantial body ofWestern Lombard literature exists, including dictionaries, grammars, and a 2020 translation of theGospels into a narrative of thelife of Christ.[13]
Haller, Hermann W. (1999).The Other Italy: The Literary Canon in Dialect. Toronto:University of Toronto Press.ISBN 0802044247. Retrieved12 June 2023.
Claudio Beretta, ed. (2003).Parlate e dialetti della Lombardia. Lessico comparato. Milan: Mondadori.ISBN 978-8804514756.
Rognoni, Andrea (2005).Grammatica dei dialetti della Lombardia. Milan:Oscar Mondadori.ISBN 978-8804546467.
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