| Genoese | |
|---|---|
| zeneize (Ligurian) | |
 Literatures in the Genoese Dialect. | |
| Pronunciation | [zeˈnejze] |
| Native to | Italy |
| Region | Liguria |
Early forms | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | geno1240 |
| Linguasphere | ... -ojb 51-AAA-ohd ... -ojb |
| IETF | lij-u-sd-itge |
| 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. | |
Genoese, locally calledzeneise orzeneize (Ligurian:[zeˈnejze]), is theprestige dialect ofLigurian, spoken in and around the Italian city ofGenoa, the capital ofLiguria.
A majority of remaining speakers of Genoese are elderly. Several associations are dedicated to keeping the dialect alive, examples of which areA Compagna in Genoa andO Castello inChiavari.[1][2] Along with 55 more associations they are part of the Consulta Ligure,[3] the main association for Genoese language, culture, art, and traditions.
Written literature has been produced in Genoese since the 13th century, and the orthography has evolved in-step with the language. There are currently two spelling systems in common use, with varying degrees of standardisation. One, proposed in 2008 by the cultural associationA Compagna, attempts to closely match in writing the pronunciation of the now-extinct variant of Genoese which used to be spoken in thePortoria neighbourhood of Genoa.[4] Another spelling system was proposed by a group of writers, journalists and academics by standardising the traditional orthography of 19th- and 20th-century Genoese newspapers.[5] This is the spelling used, amongst others, by the academic world[6][7] as well as byIl Secolo XIX, the largest print newspaper in the region.[8]
Genoese has had an influence on theLlanito vernacular ofGibraltar.
Genoesephonology includes a number of similarities withFrench, one being the heavilynasalized vowels before nasal consonants (in VN(C) sequences), also occurring when Genoese speakers speakstandard Italian. There used to be analveolar approximant (English-like)/ɹ/ opposed to analveolar trill/r/ (using the 18th century spelling:caro[ˈkaːɹu] "dear" vs.carro[ˈkaːru] "cart"), but it is no longer heard in the city. It may still survive in some rural areas of Liguria, such asCalizzano andSassello.[9] By far the most widespread type of/r/ today is thealveolar tap[ɾ] (very similar, or identical, to unstressed Standard Italian/r/). There are several distinctive localaccents of Genoese: those ofNervi,Quinto andQuarto to the east of Genoa,Voltri,Pra',Pegli andSestri to the west. There are also accents of the centralPolcevera Valley andBisagno.
Genoese has eight vowels, twenty consonants, and three semivowels.
| Pronoun | Definite | Indefinite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | masculine | o/l’ | un [iŋ] |
| feminine | a/l’ | unna [ˈinˑa] | |
| plural | masculine | i | - |
| feminine | e | - | |
Although the spelling is the same for the articleun, the numeral adjective and the pronoun, the pronunciation differs: the article is pronounced [iŋ], while the numeral pronoun and adjective are pronounced [ˈyŋ]. Meanwhile, the feminine indefinite article isunna [(ˈ)inˑa] and the pronoun and numeral adjectiveuña [ˈyŋˑa].
Orthographic rules
| Article | Before consonant | Before vowel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| definite | masculine | o nemigo, o pan | l’amigo, l’ase |
| feminine | a figgetta, a persoña | l’amiga, l’ægua | |
| indefinite | masculine | un giorno, un fræ | un euvo, un anno |
| feminine | unna poexia, unna lettia | unn’atra, unn’oa | |
| plural | masculine | i cavaggëi, i amixi | |
| feminine | e settemañe, e amighe | ||
The plural of the articlesun, unna, does not exist. Instead, the partitive is used, consisting of the articulated forms of the prepositionde, or the adjectivedoî/doe (alcuni/alcune) “some”:
| Genoese | Italian | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
| di òmmi | de euve | dei uomini | delle uova |
| doî òmmi | doe euve | alcuni uomini | alcune uova |
Example:
Combination with articles
| Preposition | o | a | l' | i | e | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | do | [du] | da | [da] | de l’ | [de l] | di | [di] | de | [de] |
| à | a-o | [aw] ~ [ɔw] | a-a | [aː] | à l’ | [a l] | a-i | [aj] | a-e | [ae] ~ [ɛː] ~ [aj] |
| da | da-o | [dɔw] | da-a | [daː] | da l’ | [da l] | da-i | [daj] | da-e | [dae] |
| pe | pe-o | [pɔw] | pe-a | [pjaː] | pe l’ | [pe l] | pe-i | [pej] | pe-e | [peː] |
| con | co-o | [kuː] | co-a | [kwaː] | con l’ | [kuŋ l] | co-i | [kwiː] | co-e | [kweː] |
| in | into | [ˈiŋtu] | inta | [ˈiŋta] | inte l’ | [ˈiŋte l] | inti | [ˈiŋti] | inte | [ˈiŋte] |
| tra | tra o | [tra u] | tra a | [tra a] | tra l’ | [tra l] | tra i | [tra i] | tra e | [tra e] |
| in sce | in sciô | [iŋ ʃuː] | in sciâ | [iŋ ʃaː] | in sce l’ | [iŋ ʃe l] | in scî | [iŋ ʃiː] | in scê | [iŋ ʃeː] |
The prepositionin becomesinte before definite articles, partitivede, demonstrative adjectives, cardinal numerals, indefinites, and interrogatives. For example:
A. Motion from a place
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular | (de) da | son vegnui (de) da Zena | sono venuti da Genova |
| from inside to outside | (de) d’in | sciortimmo (de) d’in casa | usciamo di casa |
| from top to bottom | (de) d’in sce | son cheita (de) d’in sciô teito | sono caduta dal tetto |
| locative adverbs | (de) de | anemmosene (de) de chì | andiamocene da qui |
B. Motion through/ by a place
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular | da (pe) | passemmo da (pe) Spezza | passiamo da La Spezia |
| (de) pe | passemmo (de) pe Spezza | ||
| high up places | (de) d’in sce | passemmo (de) d’in sciô passo da Bocchetta | passiamo dal passo della Bocchetta |
| through bounded spaces | (de) d’in | semmo passæ (de) d’inta cantiña | siamo passati dalla cantina |
C. State in place
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular | in | son arrestou in scagno | sono restato in ufficio |
| inte | son arrestou into scuo | sono restato al buio | |
| cities and place names | à | staggo à Saña | sto a Savona |
| staggo à l’Æguasanta | sto all’Acquasanta | ||
| in | staggo in Arbâ | sto a Albaro | |
| on surfaces | in sce | ëse in sciô ballou | essere sul ballatoio |
| ëse in sciâ töa | essere sul tavolo | ||
| above something | de d’ato à | ti â veddi a casa in çimma a-o monte? | la vedi la casa sul monte? |
| in çimma à | metto l’aradio de d’ato a-a töa | metto la radio sul tavolo |
For the complement of state in place with the names of cities, towns and localities,à is generally used, but there are some specific toponyms that requirein, in an unpredictable way.
D. Motion towards place
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular | à | anâ à scheua | andare a scuola |
| anâ à l’estranxeo | andare all’estero | ||
| cities and place names | à | anâ à Votri | andare a Voltri |
| in | anâ in San Pê d’Æña | andare a Sampierdarena | |
| person | da | vaggo da-a Texo | vado da Teresa |
| vaggo da mæ moæ | vado da mia madre | ||
| regions, areas, streets, etc. | in | anemmo in montagna | andiamo in montagna |
| anemmo in ciazza | andiamo alla spiaggia | ||
| anemmo in Spagna | andiamo in Spagna | ||
| anemmo in ciassâ Kennedy | andiamo a piazzale Kennedy |
As with the complement of state in place, for the complement of motion in place with names of cities, towns and localities mainlyà is used, but there are some specific toponyms that requirein, in an unpredictable way.
E. Action through/ between something
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular | tramezo à | o vento o sciuscia tramezo a-e canne do canniou | il vento soffia tra le canne del canneto |
| tramezo a-e quattro miage de unna stançia | tra le quattro mura d’una stanza | ||
| tra / fra | a stava in sciâ carrega, co-a testa tra e moen | stava sulla sedia, con la testa tra le mani | |
| for a distance | de chì à | de chì à 500 metri, gia in sciâ manciña | tra 500 metri, svolta a sinistra |
| intermittence between a recurring series | da | da unna poula à l’atra a meistra a stranuava pe caxon de l’allergia | tra una parola e l’altra la maestra starnutiva per via dell’allergia |
F. Matter of time
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| at a time | à | dozze franchi a-o meise | dodici franchi al mese |
| a-e 5 da mattin | alle 5 del mattino | ||
| for some time | pe | ò dormio pe doî giorni | ho dormito per due giorni |
| i mæ figgi vëgnan pe Dënâ | i miei figli verranno per Natale | ||
| from a time | da | o ve conosce da ch’o l’ea figgeu | vi conosce da quando era bambino |
| month and season of a year | in | a l’é nasciua into zenâ do 2000? | è nata nel gennaio del 2000 |
| month and season with uncertain year | de | d’ötunno cazze e feugge | in autunno cadono le foglie |
| year | o libbro o l’é stæto pubricou do 1971 | il libro è stato pubblicato nel 1971 |
G. Object Relation
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| indirect object | à | ò domandou à mæ poæ | ho chiesto a mio padre |
| purpose | à | cöse t’ê bon à fâ? | cosa sei capace a fare? |
| recipient/ beneficiary | à | beseugna pensâ a-a salute | bisogna pensare alla salute |
| pe | unna lettia pe mi e l’amô pe-a muxica | una lettera per me e l’amore per la musica | |
| object of a search | à pe | son anæta à pe fonzi con mæ barba e i seu amixi | sono andata per funghi con mio zio e i suoi amici |
| accompanying object, quality, method, or manner | con | mettise à töa con de amighe | mettersi a tavola con delle amiche |
| a dònna co-o cappello neigro | la donna dal cappello nero | ||
| basta co-a raggia! o se â mangia co-i euggi | basta con la rabbia! se la mangia con gli occhi | ||
| connection or comparison | tra / fra | no savieiva cöse çerne tra Zena e Saña | non saprei cosa scegliere tra Genova e Savona |
| familiarity or intimacy | de tra / de fra | a l’à mogognou quarcösa tra de lê | ha borbottato qualcosa tra sé e sé |
| Number | Nominative | Verbal Pronoun | Accusative | Dative | Reflexive | Possessive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | 1 | mi | - | me | mæ | ||
| 2 | ti | ti | te | teu / tò | |||
| 3 | lê | o (l’) / a (l’) | ô / â / l’ | ghe | se | seu / sò | |
| plural | 1 | n(o)iatri | - | ne | nòstro, nòstra, nòstri, nòstre | ||
| 2 | v(o)iatri | - | ve | vòstro, vòstra, vòstri, vòstre | |||
| 3 | l(o)iatri / lô | i (l’) * | î / ê | ghe | se | seu / sò | |
General rules:
Rules regarding 3rd person accusative pronouns:
For the singular,l’ is used before a verb starting with a vowel:
If placed after an imperative, gerund, or infinitive verb, the form-lo, -la, -li, -le are used.
In some varieties spoken along the Riviera and the Hinterland, the invariable 3PL clitic pronouni can be found:
Comparison with Italian
| Italian | Genoese | Explanation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronoun | Example | Pronoun | Example | |
| ci | ci ha parlato dei suoi problemi | ne | o n’à parlou di seu problemi | Indirect object |
| non ci si capisce nulla | ghe | no se gh’accapisce ninte | Demonstrative | |
| abbiamo sbagliato a non andarci! | emmo fæto mâ à no anâghe! | Locative adverb | ||
| arrivederci | se | à reveddise | Reciprocal | |
| ci siamo comprati una televisione nuova | se semmo accattæ unna neuva televixon | Enclitic | ||
| ci vediamo stasera? | se veddemmo staseia? | Pleonastic | ||
Formal Pronoun
Formal pronouns are used to replace 2nd person pronoun to indicate politeness or courtesy. In Genoese there are two forms of polite address,voscià andvoî. Both can be used regardless of gender.
Of the two,voscià expresses greater deference and is traditionally used towards people of high social standing. The formvoscià is therefore used between people of the same social status, or by people of a lower social status towards people of higher status.
Voî is used between people of medium-low social standing, or by a person of higher social standing towards someone of lower social standing. The formvoî, once typical of rural areas, can be seen today as distant or even offensive. It can also be used to deliberately mark a hierarchical distance, revealing a belief of superiority towards the target, denying the use of the more respectfulvoscià.
| Pronoun | Proximal | Distal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronoun | Adjective | Pronoun & Adjective | ||
| Singular | Masculine | sto chì | (que)sto | quello |
| Feminine | sta chì | (que)sta | quella | |
| Plural | Masculine | sti chì | (que)sti | quelli |
| Feminine | ste chì | (que)ste | quelle | |
In Genoese,sto is the most widespread variant both in speech and writing as opposed toquesto. It is not to be considered a truncated form of questo, therefore it must be written without an apostrophe.
The Genoese adjective and demonstrative pronounquesto can be emphasized by the adverbchì. Similarly, the formsto allows for such strengthening, and requires it when it performs a pronominal function. Likewise, in Genoese the adjective and demonstrative pronounquello can be emphasized by the adverbs lì and là.
1. (chì) near the speaker
2. (lì) further away from the speaker, often near the listener
3. (là) even further away from the speaker and the listener
ghe
ne
Some Genoese verbs require the use ofne compared to Italian:
| Condition | Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| as a subject | che | a casa ch’a l’é deruâ a l’ea ben ben antiga | la casa che è crollata era molto antica |
| as an object complement | o scignoro che t’æ saluou o l’é seu barba | il signore che hai salutato è suo zio | |
| prepositional | quæ | a l’à visto l’amiga co-a quæ a s’ea confiâ | ha visto l’amica con la quale si era confidata |
| "of which" | de che | quelli son i figgeu de che te diva | quelli sono i ragazzi che ti dicevo |
| "to the extend which" | quello che | gh’ò dito quello che doveiva dîghe | gli ho detto quanto necessario |
| "colui il quale" | chi | chi veu piggiâ parte ch’o tie sciù a man! | chi vuole partecipare alzi la mano! |
| "anyone which" | regallilo à chi ti veu, à mi o no m’interessa | regalalo a chi vuoi, a me non interessa | |
| "someone which" | de quelli che | gh’é de quelli che travaggian de sabbo ascì | c’è chi lavora anche il sabato |
The pronounchi (for subject relative pronoun) as opposed toche, today relegated only to certain literary uses, is always followed by a singular verb without pronominal resumption: "o menestron chi bogge, i figgeu chi zeuga" but "o menestron ch’o bogge, i figgeu che zeugan"
One of the most famous folk songs written in the Genoese dialect is calledMa se ghe penso (orMa se ghe pensu) written byMario Cappello.
Towards the end of the 20th century, artistFabrizio De André wrote an entire album calledCrêuza de mä in the Genoese dialect.
Currently, young singers and songwriters from Liguria compose and sing songs in Genoese likeBuio Pesto andMax Turigìn.
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