Languages of Calabria
The primary languages of Calabria are the standard Italian language as well as regional varieties of the Neapolitan and Sicilian languages, all collectively known as Calabrian. In addition, there are 100,000 Arbëresh-Albanian speakers, as well as small numbers of Calabrian Greek speakers and pockets of Occitan.
Calabrian (''Calabrese'')
Calabrian refers to the Romance varieties spoken in Calabria, Italy. The varieties of Calabria are part of a strong dialect continuum that are generally recognizable as Calabrian, but that are usually divided into two different language groups:- In the southern two-thirds of the region, the Calabrian dialects are more closely related to Sicilian, grouped as Central-Southern Calabrian, or simply Calabro, and are usually classified as part of Extreme Southern Italian language group.
- In the northern one-third of the region, the Calabrian dialects are often classified typologically with Neapolitan language and are called Northern Calabrian or just Cosentian.
The linguistic division roughly corresponds with the historic administrative division already in place since medieval times: Calabria Citeriore and Calabria Ulteriore. This is a broad generalization and many communities in the more central parts of the region exhibit features of both language groups.
The dialects of Calabria have been extensively studied, catalogued and commented upon by German philologist Gerhard Rohlfs. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1970s, he traveled the region extensively and assembled a very extensive, multi-volume dictionary.
| English | Southern Calabrian | Northern Calabrian | Italian |
| tomorrow | rumàni | crai / dumàni | domani |
| in the meantime | asciatàntu / shramènti | interimme | frattanto |
| the day before last | avantèri | nustierzu | ieri l'altro |
| to yawn | sbadigghjàri | alare | sbadigliare |
Central-Southern Calabrian
The areas where Central–Southern Calabrian is spoken corresponds generally to the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Catanzaro and the southern part of Crotone. The term Sicilian-Calabrian is also used to distinguish the group from the Northern Calabrian group. It comprises Central Calabrian and Southern Calabrian.The primary roots of the dialects is Latin. Southern and Central Calabrian dialects are strongly influenced by a Greek substratum and ensuing levels of Latin influence and other external Southern Italian superstrata, in part hindered by geography, resulted in the many local variations found between the idioms of Calabria. Nonetheless, the dialects have some influence from other languages, thanks to the periodic rule and influx of other cultures. As a result, French, Occitan and Spanish have left an imprint.
| Central-Southern Calabrian | Greek | Albanian | Italian | French | English |
| batràci | bretkosë | ranocchio | grenouille | frog | |
| zinnapòtamu | vidër | lontra | loutre | otter | |
| bampurìddha / lampurìdda / vampurìddha | xixëllonjë | lucciola | luciole | firefly | |
| purtuàllu | portokall | arancia | orange | orange | |
| 'nnàca | djep | culla | berceau | cradle | |
| tuppitiàri | godit | battere | battre | to hit |
French and Norman vocabulary entered the region via the kingdoms of the Normans and the Angevins in Calabria.
| Central-Southern Calabrian | Norman or French | Italian | English |
| 'ccattàri | accater | comprare | to buy |
| 'nduja | andouille | salsicciotto | type of sausage |
| buccirìa | boucherie | macelleria | butcher's |
| arrocculàri | reculer | rotolare | to recoil |
| ràggia | rage | rabbia | anger |
| sciarabàllu | carriole | veicolo sbatacchiato | charabanc |
| travagghiàri | travailler | lavorare | to work |
Other words derived from Spanish, Catalan, and Occitan:
- capezza – cabeza – head
- cucchiàra – cuchara – spoon
- palumba – paloma – dove
- scupetta – escopeta – rifle
- muccatùri – mocador – tissue
- prèscia – pressa – precipitation
- timpa – timba – abrupt
- addhumàri – allumar – light up
- truppicari – trompicar – trip
Conjugations
Êssiri (to be)
| Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect | |
| èu | sugnu | êra | fùja | chi fùssi | fùssi |
| Tu | sì | êri | fùsti | chi fùssi | fùssi |
| Iddhu, Iddha | êsti | êra | fu' | chi fùssi | fùssi |
| Nu | símu | êrumu | fùmmu | chi fùssimu | fùssimu |
| Vu | síti | êru | fùstu | chi fùstu | fùssivu |
| Iddhi | sunnu | êrunu | fúru | chi fùssiru | fùssiru |
Aìri (to have)
| Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect | |
| èu | haju | aìva | èppi | chi aìssi | aìssi |
| Tu | hai | aívi | aìsti | chi aìssi | aìssi |
| Iddhu, Iddha | havi | aìva | èppi | chi aìssi | aìssi |
| Nui | aìmu | aìvumu | èppimu | chi aìssimu | aìssimu |
| Vui | aíti | aìvu | aistu | chi aìssivu | aìssivu |
| Iddhi | hannu | aìvunu | èppiru | chi aìssiru | aìssiru |
Dialects
- Reggino dialect : the dialect with the most speakers, and cites Reggio Calabria as its cultural centre. This dialect is very similar to the dialect of Messina in Sicily.
- Dialects of the Chjàna: spoken in the plains of Gioia Tauro , a micro-region situated north of Aspromonte.
- Locride dialects: spoken on the east coast of the Province of Reggio Calabria.
- Catanzaro dialect.
- Dialects of the Alto-Jonica: used in the area of the Gulf of Squillace, similar to the dialect spoken in Catanzaro.
Comparison of the Central-Southern Calabrian Dialects
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:
- In Standard Italian:
Northern Calabrian (Cosentian)
The Northern Calabrian dialects are similar to other Neapolitan varieties and are significantly different from the dialects of southern Calabria. The dialects of the northern fringes of the Province of Cosenza give way to Campanian and Lucanian dialects; however, the majority of the province speaks the Cosentian dialect. It is also spoken in the northern portion of the Province of Crotone and in the extreme northwest of the Province of Catanzaro.One aspect of Northern Calabrian is that the use of the preterite is almost absent, in great contrast to the Sicilian varieties of the south. In Cosentian, the norm is he pigliatu or signu jutu ; whereas the preterite pigghiai or ivi would be more common in the rest of Calabria. Other aspects are the phonetic modifications similar to other Neapolitan dialects, such as where -nt is pronounced -nd, and v is usually pronounced b. In addition, spoken Cosentian is noted for its "soft" truncation of end syllables at the termination of sentences, and for the typical T/C sound in words such as ccjù or cjanu''. As a transitional dialect between Sicilian and Neapolitan, Cosentian dialect shares many sounds, words and features unique to each of the Sicilian and Neapolitan groups.
Conjugations
Êsse (to be)
| Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect | |
| Iu | signu | êra | signu statu | fossa | |
| Tu | sì | êri | sì statu | fossi | |
| Iddru, Iddra | è | êra | è statu | fossa | |
| Nua | símu | êramu | simu stati | fossimu | |
| Vua | síti | êrati | siti stati | fossati | |
| Iddri | sù | êranu | sù stati | fòssaru |
Avì (to have)
| Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect | |
| Iu | haju | avìa | he avutu | avissa | |
| Tu | ha' | avii | ha' avutu | avissi | |
| Iddru, Iddra | hà | avìa | hà avutu | avissa | |
| Nua | avìmu | avìamu | hamu avutu | avìssamu | |
| Vua | avíti | avìati | hat'avutu or avít' avutu | avvissati | |
| Iddri | hannu | avìanu | hannu avutu | avissaru |
Comparison of Central-Southern and Northern Calabrian
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:
- In Standard Italian:
- In Reggino and Cosentian :
Other languages in Calabria
- Calabrian Greek, a variety of Greek spoken in Calabria. Native Italian Greek varieties are classified as the Griko dialect of modern Greek. The Corsican Greek of Cargèse is due to immigrants from Greece and is not a Griko variety..
- Occitan language, a local variety of the Occitan language spoken in certain communities.
- Arbëresh, a dialect of the Albanian language.