Basic Facts about the Italian Language
Modern Italian, as often happens with many national languages, is in fact a dialect that has succeeded in imposing itself as the proper language of a larger region than the one corresponding to the land where a dialect is spoken. In the case of Italian, the Tuscan dialect, spoken in Florence, Pisa and Siena, has become the dominant dialect.
Interestingly, this is not because of political or demographic reasons as normally happens, but thanks to the cultural prestige it carries due to the fact that it was the language of the famed “Divina Comedia”. This literary work written in the early years of the 14th century was considered the first literary work authored in the “modern language.”
The Tuscan dialect is indeed the one in which renown authors such as Dante Alighieri, Petrarca and Boccaccio wrote. These three authors were considered the most well known Italian Renaissance writers. The economic success and development of the Tuscan region during the late Middle Ages gave the dialect extra weight despite the continued influence of the Venetian dialect.
To start learning Italian, be sure to check ou the Squidoo lens Pimsleur Italian Language.
