Languages of Calabria

Calabrian (Italian: calabrese) refers to the Romance varieties spoken in Calabria, Italy. The varieties of Calabria are part of a strong dialect continuum that are generally recognizable as Calabrian, but that are usually divided into two different language groups:

• In the southern two-thirds of the region, the Calabrian varieties are grouped as Central-Southern Calabrian, and are usually classified as part of Extreme Southern Italian (italiano meridionale estremo) language group
• In the northern one-third of the region, the Calabrian dialects are often classified typologically with Neapolitan language (it: napoletano calabrese) and are called Northern Calabrian or just Cosentian.

The Amantea-Cirò line is generally considered an approximate demarcation between the Neapolitan and Extreme Southern Italian groups.

The linguistic division roughly corresponds with the historic administrative division already in place since medieval times: Calabria Citeriore (or Latin Calabria) and Calabria Ulteriore (or Greek Calabria). This is a broad generalization and many communities in the more central parts of the region exhibit features of both language groups.

The dialects of Calabria have been extensively studied, catalogued and commented upon by German philologist Gerhard Rohlfs. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1970s, he traveled the region extensively and assembled a very extensive, multi-volume dictionary.

The Central-Southern Calabrian (calavrisi or calabbrisi) dialects are largely spoken in the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Catanzaro, almost all that of Crotone and, depending on classifications, the grouping can also encompass the varieties of southern Cilentan and southern Salentino. The term Sicilian-Calabrian is also used to distinguish the group from the Northern Calabrian group. It comprises Central Calabrian and Southern Calabrian.

The primary roots of the dialects is Latin. Southern and Central Calabrian dialects are strongly influenced by a Greek substratum and ensuing levels of Latin influence and other external Southern Italian superstrata, in part hindered by geography, resulted in the many local variations found between the idioms of Calabria. Nonetheless, the dialects have some influence from other languages, thanks to the periodic rule and influx of other cultures. As a result, French, Occitan and Spanish have left an imprint.

French and Norman vocabulary entered the region via the kingdoms of the Normans and the Angevins in Calabria.

Other words derived from Spanish, Catalan, and Occitan:

• capezza, cabeza (Spanish), head
• scupetta, escopeta (Spanish), rifle
• muccaturi, mocador (Catalan), tissue
• prescia, pressa (Catalan), precipitation
• timpa, timba (Catalan), abrupt
• addhumari, allumar (Occitan, French, Provençal), light up
• truppicari, trompicar (Spanish), trip

Conjugations

Èssiri (to be)

A(v)iri (to have)

Dialects

• Reggino dialect ("u riggitanu" in Reggino or, previously, also "(l)u rijitanu"): the dialect with the most speakers, and cites Reggio Calabria as its cultural centre. This dialect is very similar to the dialect of Messina in Sicily.
• Dialects of the Chjana: spoken in the plains of Gioia Tauro (Piana di Gioia Tauro), a micro-region situated north of Aspromonte.
• Locride dialects: spoken on the east coast of the Province of Reggio Calabria.
• Catanzaro dialect used in the area of the Gulf of Squillace.

Comparison of the Central-Southern Calabrian Dialects

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

• In Italian:

Tutti gli esseri umani nascono liberi ed eguali in dignità e diritti. Essi sono dotati di ragione e di coscienza e devono agire gli uni verso gli altri in spirito di fratellanza.

The Northern Calabrian (cusintinu or cosentino) dialects are largely found throughout the Province of Cosenza, and even if they could still be categorized together with Neapolitan varieties, they nonetheless are heavily transitional towards Sicilian ones.

Conjugations

Esse (to be)

Avì (to have)

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

• In Italian:

Tutti gli esseri umani nascono liberi ed eguali in dignità e diritti. Essi sono dotati di ragione e di coscienza e devono agire gli uni verso gli altri in spirito di fratellanza.

• In Reggino (Central-Southern Calabrian) and Cosentian (Northern Calabrian):

Bibliography

• Gerhard Rohlfs, Nuovo Dizionario Dialettale della Calabria, Longo, Ravenna, 1990;
• Gerhard Rohlfs, Dizionario dei Cognomi e Soprannomi in Calabria, Longo, Ravenna, 1979;
• Gerhard Rohlfs, Dizionario toponomastico ed Onomastico della Calabria, Longo, Ravenna, 1990;
• Giuseppe Pensabene, Cognomi e Toponimi in Calabria, Gangemi, Reggio Calabria, 1987;
• G. Amiotti, M. Vittoria Antico Gallina, L. Giardino, I Greci nel sud dell'Italia, Amilcare Pizzi, Milan, 1995;
• Domenico Caruso, Storia e Folklore Calabrese, Centro Studi S. Martino, 1988;

• Grecanico, a variety of Italiot Greek spoken in Calabria. Native Italian Greek varieties are classified as the Grecanico of modern Greek.
• Gardiol, a variety of Occitan spoken in Guardia Piemontese.
• Arbëresh, a dialect of the Albanian language.