Is this Italian?

Marc   Fri May 16, 2008 9:20 am GMT
Guest   Fri May 16, 2008 12:06 pm GMT
it sounds corsican
Guest   Fri May 16, 2008 6:29 pm GMT
Domenico Modugno was a native Sicilian.
The language is probably that.
Alessandro   Fri May 16, 2008 7:23 pm GMT
Yes it's Sicilian, but Modugno is not Sicilian.
He was born near Bari in Apulia region, so his Sicilian is not perfect.
The song is the story of a Swordfish (Pisci Spada).
Guest   Fri May 16, 2008 9:27 pm GMT
Italian is a good enough guess.

People should not be expected to discern the difference between the myriad different dialects of the same thing.
greg   Fri May 16, 2008 9:38 pm GMT
'Guest' : « [...] the myriad different dialects of the same thing. »

Sauf que le sicilien n'est pas un "dialecte" *de* l'italien mais une langue italienne (= d'Italie).
Guest   Fri May 16, 2008 9:52 pm GMT
<<Sauf que le sicilien n'est pas un "dialecte" *de* l'italien mais une langue italienne (= d'Italie).>>

The distinction between 'dialect' and 'language' is completely arbitrary, so call them 'languages' if you want.

Anyway, trying to distinguish between them, is an exercise in futilty because they are barely different from each other. Calling it "italian" (meaning one of the dialects of vulgar latin spoken in Italy) should be an acceptable answer.
Alessandro   Sat May 17, 2008 8:20 am GMT
Curiosus,
I'm Italian and I'm bilingual. I speak Italian and Lombard. Great part of Italians are bilingual.
Probably you inverted the term "Italy" with "France".
How many languages are endangered in France?
Berlusconi   Sat May 17, 2008 10:38 am GMT
Italy has a great history of linguistic preservation. Regional dialects are actively supported although it is advisable to know the standard dialects in order to be considered educated. However, we only support languages which form a part of our historical heritage, that is why we do not support the strange tongues spoken by the Roma people. That is why we are shipping them out.

Good Dusk.
Guest   Sat May 17, 2008 11:39 am GMT
<< How many languages are endangered in France? >>

All the ones excluding French. France is the only European country which has not signed the treaty in favour of endangered languages.
Guest   Sat May 17, 2008 12:40 pm GMT
<< That is why we are shipping them out. >>

I can't see physical differences between Italians and Roma people. They both look the same.
Guest   Sat May 17, 2008 2:56 pm GMT
"Italy has a great history of linguistic preservation."

Don't bullshit us please.

"France is the only European country which has not signed the treaty in favour of endangered languages."

LOL. Another blatant lie.
Guest   Sat May 17, 2008 2:58 pm GMT
<< LOL. Another blatant lie. >>

Why a lie? Can you prove it?
Alessandro   Sat May 17, 2008 4:00 pm GMT
"Italy has a great history of linguistic preservation."

This is not true. But Italy has not fought against local languages. Dialects are safe because are handed from father to son.
It is true that some local languages like Franco-provenzal, Sardinian, Slovenian and German are co-official with Italian.
I think in the next years, thanks to the federalistic movements all the local dialects will become official as regional languages.
Guest   Sat May 17, 2008 4:15 pm GMT
Are Italian dialects mutually intelligible enough to allow Italians to understand to each other withouth speaking Italian? For example, are Lombard and Tuscan mutually intelligible? Are the Roman and Sicilian dialects mutually intelligible?