Spasell is a slang ofInsubric language, spoken until the 19th century by inhabitants ofVallassina, when they used to go out from the valley for business and they didn't want to be understood by the people. It is characterized by code-words conventionally defined basing on characteristics of the thing or ononomatopoeias; other words have an unknown origin. It has been noted by Carlo Mazza,vicar ofAsso, in his bookMemorie storiche della Vallassina of 1796. He informs us that several slangs have been created in the time, because in the time the words were introduced in the current language, reducing the differences between "official" language and "secret" language. After a list of terms, the vicar proposes, as example, the translation ofPater Noster in this language, evidencing that it's totally incomprehensible also by theInsubric speakers. There are various similar or identical slangs in many localities ofInsubria, likeValtellina andMilan. Some Spasell words have been adsorbed by the common language, for examplelòfi (see Spasellloffi=bad), used in northernBrianza to indicate a "so and so" person, orscabbi, used also byCarlo Porta in the poemBrindes de Meneghin a l'Ostaria to refer to wine, in alternation withvin.
Masett che stanziê in la creuggia di salvestri, ch'el vost oden s'ingalmissa, ch'el stanzia el nost bosin piatt, che se rusca quel che vu tubè sora i masett de la luscia, quant in quella di sciatt. Refilên el sbêg de stobold, e che no va stanzien nippa in del scimêe i nost lenarii, come anch'el nost'oden szabolda ai olter ghielma; Fêen taruscia la schigna che ne rusca el Naja de Tameu. Per tagiorala no lassên sciobigà in nient de loffi. AMEN.
^Venetian is either grouped with the rest of the Italo-Dalmatian or the Gallo-Italic languages, depending on the linguist, but the major consensus among linguists is that in the dialectal landscape of northern Italy, Veneto dialects are clearly distinguished from Gallo-Italic dialects.
