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Dialects and Varieties

Sicilian

Other Dialects and Varieties

Sicilian is a Romance language spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands, belonging to the broader Extreme Southern Italian language group. Within this atlas it is treated as a regional dialect and variety of Italian, though many linguists classify it as a separate Romance language in its own right rather than a dialect of standard Italian.

Facts
Region
is a Romance language that is spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands. 1
Speaker Community
Sicilian is spoken by most inhabitants of Sicily and by emigrant populations around the world. 1
Distinguishing Features
distinct enough from Standard Italian to be considered a separate language 1
Classification
Variety Kind
Regional Dialect 1
Connections

Descends From

Latin, Languages

Sicilian is an Extreme Southern Italian Romance language that developed from the Vulgar Latin introduced to Sicily under Roman rule, a sister development to Italian rather than a derivation from it.

Source Wikipedia: Sicilian Language
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Sicilian Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, opening definition clause
    is a Romance language that is spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands.
  • Status section, opening sentence
    Sicilian is spoken by most inhabitants of Sicily and by emigrant populations around the world.
  • Lead section, Ethnologue quotation
    distinct enough from Standard Italian to be considered a separate language
  • Variety kind, Sicilian entity page
    Within this atlas it is treated as a regional dialect and variety of Italian, though many linguists classify it as a separate Romance language in its own right rather than a dialect of standard Italian.
  • Descends From: Latin, Phonology section
    A further range of consonantal sound shifts occurred between the Vulgar Latin introduced to the island following Roman rule and the subsequent development of the Sicilian language.
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