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Gli Accenti Italiani Posted by on Nov 4, 2016 in Italian Language

It can be a strange business, this blogging. Unlike teaching in schools, colleges, and universities, where one has regular direct contact with one’s students, blogging can often feel like sending out messages in bottles.

Who are our readers, where are they, what do they know about the Italian language and culture? From a didactic point of view, these are important questions if we are to identify your learning needs.

With this in mind, what a pleasure it has been to read all of your fascinating comments on my article A Brief History Of Spoken Italian. It’s as if you, dear readers, have written a blog for me. And I loved it!

When I first moved here nearly a decade ago, spoken Italian was either more or less clear to me (usually less!), and my awareness of different accents was very limited. As I’d spent a lot of time in Lucca I was able to identify some characteristics of the accent from that part of Tuscany. I love, for example, the ci, which in ‘standard’ Italian is normally pronounced chee as in cheese but in the Lucca area is pronounced she as in … well, she! When I met people from the Firenze area I noticed that the c as in casa (house) became an h: la mia hasa, instead of la mia casa.

These days, I can usually tell straight away if someone is from the north or south of Italy. I can recognize a Romano accent, and distinguish a Toscano accent from that of Emilia Romagna. But there are still many sfumature (shades) that I can’t place.

This is where we need the help of an expert, and at this point I turn to my friend youtube. Here’s a great video of comedian Enrico Brignano parodying gli accenti italiani (Italian accents). Don’t worry if you don’t understand much of what he says, it’s all about the sounds and how they change as he travels around the peninsula.

Did you manage to recognise any of the accents? Do you have a favourite Italian accent?

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Comments:

  1. Gallimaufry:

    A transcription of this performance would be wonderful!

    • Geoff:

      @Gallimaufry Salve Gallimaufry, e grazie per il tuo commento.

      A transcription of the video would actually be pretty useless because, as I wrote in my article: “it’s all about the sounds and how they change as he travels around the peninsula.”
      He uses many made up words, and a lot of what he says is unintelligible even to an Italian!

      A presto, Geoff 🙂

  2. Mike Nicolucci:

    Come grande quel video Proprio divertente!

  3. Richard Mann:

    Hi Serena.
    Thank you for your wonderful blog. One of the highlights of my day. FYI I live in Melbourne, Australia and have a friend in a little town called Mogliano just outside Venezia, whom I try to visit every now and then although it is a long way. He and his family are the main reason for my interest, as well as the overall culture, history, food, wine, beauty, etc of Italy.
    My wife is also very interested in Roman history and has read many books on the subject, and we love Rome as a city due to its layered history that is still so visible.
    We have also been cycling and hiking in many parts of Italy therefore your blog on accents is particularly relevant – what are they saying in Puglia???
    I have been learning Italian via your blog, Duolingo and various YouTube videos and other sites, as well as terrorizing people in cafes and restaurants as there is a large Italian community in Melbourne.
    I hope this helps you realise that your blog is very important, beautifully written and gives a great insight into Italian life and culture for those of us that live far away.
    Cheers,
    Richard

    • Serena:

      @Richard Mann Grazie Richard per i complimenti! Mi è piaciuta molto l’espressione “as well as terrorizing people in cafes and restaurants”. Continua così!
      Saluti da Serena e Geoff

  4. Andrej:

    La mia variante preferita è il fiorentino colto. Così bella e musicale.
    Saluti da Andrej
    P.S Ho cominciato a studiare italiano perché mi erano piaciute alcune parole dell’epigrafe di una storia di Edgar Poe

    • Serena:

      @Andrej Salve Andrej, il fiorentino è senz’altro il mio accento preferito.
      Una curiosità: quali sono le parole dell’epigrafe nella storia di Edgar Allan Poe? (grande classico!)
      Saluti da Serena

  5. Rosalind:

    È molto abile ma non ho capito manc’una parola (tranne l’italiano standard all’inizio e alla fine) e sono stata a sentelo / l’ho ascoltato (?) 3 volte.

    Per gli accenti penso di avere riconosciuto quello altoatesino (che parlano così anche in tedesco) e anche quello del Veneto. Fuori di queste regioni non conosco alcun accento italiano.

  6. Andrej:

    Ho letto quell’epigrafe 25 anni fa. Solo ricordo la parola ‘silenzio’ . Mi pare che sia stato qualcosa di Dante
    Saluti Da Andrej


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