Italy

Print
Albanian, Arbëreshë
[aae] Calabria region: Catanzaro and Reggio di Calabria provinces; Molise region: Campobasso province; Sicily region: Palermo province; possibly Apulia and Basilicata regions. Users: 100,000 (Salminen 2007). 380,000 Albanian speakers in Italy (2012 census). Ethnic population: 260,000 (Stephens 1976). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Arbëreshë, Arbërisht, Arbërishtja, Gjegje. Autonym: Tarbrisht. Classification: Indo-European, Albanian, Tosk.

More Information

Arabic, Algerian Spoken
[arq] Users: 15,700 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Arabic, Egyptian Spoken
[arz] Users: 57,700 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Arabic, Judeo-Tripolitanian
[yud] Users: 5,000 in Italy (1994 H. Mutzafi). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Arabic, Moroccan Spoken
[ary] Users: 309,000 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Arabic, Tunisian Spoken
[aeb] Users: 73,400 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Arpitan
[frp] Valle d’Aosta region; Piedmont region: Turin province. Users: 70,000 in Italy (Salminen 2007). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Franco-Provençal, Francoprovençal, arpitano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, Southeastern.

More Information

Bavarian
[bar] Trentino-Alto Adige region: south Tyrol. Users: 250,000 in Italy (2005). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Bavarian Austrian, Bayerisch, Boarisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

More Information

Bengali
[ben] Users: 400,000 in Italy (2018), based on nationality. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese.

More Information

Bosnian
[bos] Users: 20,700 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western.

More Information

Catalan
[cat] Sardinia region: Sassari province, Alghero city. Users: 7,480 in Italy (Argenter 2008). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Algherese Catalan, Català. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, East Iberian.

More Information

Chinese
[zho] A macrolanguage. 160,000 in Italy (2012 census). Non-indigenous.

More Information

Cimbrian
[cim] Veneto region: Vincenza province, Roana commune. Users: 2,230. 500 in Lusernese Cimbrian in Trentino Alto Oolige 40 km southeast from Trento, plus 1,500 Sette Comuni Cimbrian (40% of Roana (Rowan), 70% of Messaselva di Roana Rotzo) in Veneto around 60 km north of Vincenza (Kloss 1978), and 230 or 65% of Giazza (Ijetzan) Veneto, 43 km northeast of Verona (1992 R. Zamponi). 22,700 were in Sieben Gemeinde and 12,400 in Dreizehn Gemeinde in 1854. Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Tzimbro, Zimbrisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

More Information

Corsican
[cos] Sardinia region; Maddalena islands, Sardinia northeast coast. Users: 1,000 in Italy (1990). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Corse, Corsi, Corsu, Còrso. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Corsican.

More Information

Croatian
[hrv] Users: 13,300 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western.

More Information

Emilian
[egl] Emilia-Romagna region: Reggio Emilia, main town; also in Bologna, Ferrara, Parma, Piacenza, Modena; Piedmont region: Curone valley. Users: 440,000 (2006 S. Grementieri). Ethnic population: 3,000,000 (2008 I. Miani). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Bolognese, Ferrarese, Modenese, Parmigiano, Piacentino, Reggiano. Autonym: Emigliân. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

English
[eng] Users: 20,734,000 in Italy, all users. L1 users: 34,000 in Italy (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. L2 users: 20,700,000 (European Commission 2012). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Inglese. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.

More Information

French
[fra] Valle d’Aosta region. Users: 9,756,000 in Italy, all users. L1 users: 116,000 in Italy (2012 census). L2 users: 9,640,000 (European Commission 2012). Status: 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Valle d’Aoste (1999, Historical Minorities Protection Act, No. 482). Alternate Names: Francese, Français. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.

More Information

Friulian
[fur] Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region except Trieste province and western and eastern border areas; Veneto region: Venezia province, Portogruaro area. Users: 600,000 (2014 Agjenzie Regjonâl pe Lenghe Furlane), decreasing. 420,000 regular speakers, 180,000 occasional speakers (2014 Agjenzie Regjonâl pe Lenghe Furlane). Status: 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region (2007, Regional law no. 29). Alternate Names: Frioulan, Frioulian, Friulano. Autonym: Furlan, Marilenghe. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.

More Information

German, Standard
[deu] Trentino-Alto Adige region: Bolzano and South Tyrol provinces; Veneto region: Belluno province. Users: 1,276,000 in Italy, all users. L1 users: 36,000 in Italy (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. L2 users: 1,240,000 (2019 Eurostat). Status: 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Trentino-Alto Adige region (1999, Historical Minorities Protection Act, No. 482). Alternate Names: Deutsch, Tedesco. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.

More Information

Greek
[ell] Apulia region: Bari province, Monopoli; Adriatic coast; Calabria region: east of Reggio. Users: 20,000 in Italy (Vincent 1987). Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Greco. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic.

More Information

International Sign
[ils] Scattered in many countries. Users: No known L1 users (2015 A. Bickford). No native signers; learned by adults at international gatherings. Ethnic population: No ethnic community (2015 A. Bickford). Status: 9 (Second language only). Alternate Names: Gestuno, IS, International Sign Language. Classification: Sign language.

More Information

Italian
[ita] Users: 59,000,000 in Italy (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 67,901,630 (as L1: 64,821,530; as L2: 3,080,100). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1999, Law No. 482, Article 1.1). Autonym: Italiano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

More Information

Italian Sign Language
[ise] Scattered, including Sardinia and Sicily. Users: 40,000 (2021 EUD). Less than 0.1%. Another estimate: 70,000 profoundly deaf people, including 9,000 school age. (Van Cleve 1986). Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2021, Sostegni Decree, Article 34). Alternate Names: LIS, Lingua Italiana Dei Segni, Lingua dei Segni Italiana. Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language.

More Information

Judeo-Italian
[itk] Tuscany region: Siena province, Buonconvento; urban areas central and north, Rome. Users: 200 in Italy. Total users in all countries: 250. Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Italkian, Judaico-Romanesco, Judeo-Venetian, La‘az, giudeo-italiano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

More Information

Kabuverdianu
[kea] Users: 4,100 in Italy (2015 Instituto de Apoio ao Emigrante). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Creole, Portuguese based.

More Information

Kurdish, Northern
[kmr] Users: 3,500 in Italy (2001). Ethnic population: 11,500 (2000). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish.

More Information

Ladin
[lld] Trentino-Alto Adige region: the autonomous province of Bolzano-South Tyrol, 2 valleys. Users: Ethnic population: 38,000. Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Dolomite, Rhaeto-Romance. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Rhaetian.

More Information

Ligurian
[lij] Liguria region: east and west of Genoa along the Riviera and mountain hinterland; small communities near Piedmont-Liguria regional border (Garessio, Ormea, Saliceto, Seorle, Spigno, Orba valley, Scrivia valley); Piedmont region: Cuneo province; Tuscany region: Massa-Carrara province, small border areas; possible scattered settlements in Sardinia area. Users: 140,000 in Italy (2017 census). Total users in all countries: 148,210. Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Zeneize. Autonym: Ligure. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

Lombard
[lmo] Lombardy region: Bregaglia, Mesoldina, and Poschiavo valleys; Piedmont region: Novara province; Trentino-Alto Adige region: west Trentino border area; Emilia-Romagna region: small areas along Po river northwest of Piacenza; Veneto region: east shoreline area, Lake Garda. Users: 3,600,000 in Italy (2002). Total users in all countries: 3,903,000. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Lombardo. Autonym: Lombard. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

Maltese
[mlt] Users: 28,000 in Italy (Johnstone 1993). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.

More Information

Mócheno
[mhn] Trentino-Alto Adige region: Valle del Fersina. Users: 1,900 (1992 R. Zamponi). 400 Fierozzo, 1,000 Palú, 460 Gereut. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian.

More Information

Napoletano-Calabrese
[nap] Calabria and Campania regions. Users: 5,700,000 (2002). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Neapolitan-Calabrese. Autonym: Napulitano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

More Information

Occitan
[oci] Liguria region: Imperia province; Piedmont region: Entraigas, Limoun, Pignerol, Sestriero, Val d’Esturo, Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Vinai, upper valleys; maybe Calabria region: Guardia Piemontese. Users: 100,000 in Italy (1990 P. Blanchet). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Provenzale, Provençal. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, Oc.

More Information

Piedmontese
[pms] Lombardy region: small communities along Po river north bank, across from Valenza; Piedmont region: all provinces except Novara province, excluding Occitan- and Arpitan-speaking Alpine valleys; Valle d’Aosta region. Users: 700,000 in Italy (Regis 2012). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Piemontese. Autonym: Piemontèis. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

Romagnol
[rgn] Emilia-Romagna region: Cesena, Imola, Faenza, Forlì, Ravenna, and Rimini. Users: 160,000 in Italy (2006 S. Grementieri). Ethnic population: 1,100,000 (2008 I. Miani). Status: 7 (Shifting). Autonym: Rumagnol. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

Romani, Balkan
[rmn] Users: 5,000 in Italy (1990). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Balkan.

More Information

Romani, Sinte
[rmo] Scattered in northern regions. Users: 14,000 in Italy (1980). 10,000 Manouche, 4,000 Slovenian-Croatian. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Romanes, Sinte, Sinti. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Northern.

More Information

Romani, Vlax
[rmy] Major cities. Users: 4,000 in Italy. 1,000–3,000 Kalderash, 1,000 Lovari. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Rom. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Romani, Vlax.

More Information

Romanian
[ron] Users: 798,000 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern.

More Information

Russian
[rus] Users: 127,000 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East.

More Information

Sardinian
[srd] A macrolanguage. Population total all languages (L1 only): 1,200,000. Includes: Campidanese Sardinian [sro], Gallurese Sardinian [sdn], Logudorese Sardinian [src], Sassarese Sardinian [sdc].

More Information

Sardinian, Campidanese
[sro] Sardinia region: southern half of Sardinia island. Users: 500,000 (Salminen 2007). Status: 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in south Sardinia (1999, Atlantic Coast Languages Act No. 162, Article 4). Alternate Names: Campidanese, Campidese, Sardu, South Sardinian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

More Information

Sardinian, Gallurese
[sdn] Sardinia region: Nuoro, Olbio Tempio, and Sassari provinces, facing Tyrrhenian sea. Users: 100,000 (Salminen 1999). Status: 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in northeast Sardinia (1999, Atlantic Coast Languages Act No. 162, Article 4). Alternate Names: Gallurese, Northeastern Sardinian. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

More Information

Sardinian, Logudorese
[src] Sardinia region: generally south of Sassari town. Users: 500,000 (Salminen 1999). Status: 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in central Sardinia (1999, Atlantic Coast Languages Act No. 162, Article 4). Alternate Names: Central Sardinian, Logudorese, Sard, Sardarese. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

More Information

Sardinian, Sassarese
[sdc] Sardinia region: Sassari province. Users: 100,000 (Salminen 1999). Status: 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in northwest Sardinia (1999, Linguistic Minority Defense Act No. 482, Article 2). Alternate Names: Northwestern Sardinian, Sassarese. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Southern, Sardinian.

More Information

Serbian
[srp] Users: 24,300 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western.

More Information

Sicilian
[scn] Sicily region: Sicily island and nearby island groups. Users: 4,700,000 (2002). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Calabro-Sicilian, Siculu. Autonym: Sicilianu. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.

More Information

Slavomolisano
[svm] Molise region: Campobasso province, Montemitro, San Felice del Molise, and Acquaviva-Collecroce villages. Users: 1,000 (2012 W. Breu). Ethnic population: 2,000 (2012 W. Breu). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Croato molisano, Molise Croatian, Molise Slavic, Naš jezik, Slavic of Molise. Autonym: Na-našu. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western.

More Information

Slovene
[slv] Friuli-Venezia Giulia region: Gorizia, Trieste, and Udine provinces, north and south along Slovenia border. Users: 133,000 in Italy, all users. L1 users: 24,000 in Italy (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 109,000 (European Commission 2012). Status: 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Trieste and Gorizia provinces (1999, Historical Minorities Protection Act, No. 482). Alternate Names: Slovenščina, Slovenian. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western.

More Information

Somali
[som] Users: 50,600 in Italy (2000). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Somali.

More Information

Spanish
[spa] Users: 2,295,000 in Italy, all users. L1 users: 255,000 in Italy (2012 census). L2 users: 2,040,000 (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.

More Information

Ukrainian
[ukr] Users: 120,000 in Italy (2012 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East.

More Information

Venetian
[vec] Friuli-Venezia Giulia region: southern Gorizia province, most of western Pordenone province, Trieste province; Trentino-Alto Adige region: central and east Trento province; Veneto region. Users: 3,800,000 in Italy (2002). Total users in all countries: 3,852,500. Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Talian, Venet. Autonym: Veneto. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian.

More Information

Walser
[wae] Valle d’Aosta region: Val Lesa (Val del Lys) (Gressoney, Issime, Gaby); Piedmont region: Valsesia (Alagna, Rima S. Giuseppe, Rimella); Novara, Valle Anzasca (Macugnaga); Val Formazza (Formazza, Pomatt). 10 communities. Users: 3,400 in Italy (Fazzini Giovannucci 1978). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Walscher. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic.

More Information