The Italian language evolved through a long and gradual process, which began with the decline of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. It wasn’t until the year 1000 that the first texts began to appear in the vernacular—no longer in Latin, the language of scholars and the Church.
Although the Tuscan dialect, used by three of the most important poets of the 13th century (Alighieri, Boccaccio, and Petrarch), formed the foundation of modern Italian, the language as we know it today is the result of a long process of evolution that only became solidified in the late 19th century. As Italy itself came into existence—the nation only unified in 1861, overcoming the divisions between its many small states often governed by foreign powers—writers and intellectuals began contemplating the need to standardize the Italian dialects, which had been spoken for centuries in different areas, each representing distinct cultural realities.
The spread of standard Italian only began in earnest in the 1950s, when the country underwent a period of complete political, social, and economic reconstruction following World War II, aided by mass schooling (the Italian Constitution, which came into effect in January 1948, guaranteed everyone the right to basic education). A significant contribution to the spread of standard Italian also came from television, which played a crucial role in homogenizing speech (as well as customs), helping to bridge regional differences. During the economic boom from 1958 to 1962, television became a tool for transmitting cultural programs and language models. The famous show Non è Mai Troppo Tardi (It’s Never Too Late), hosted by teacher Alberto Manzi, became iconic. Between 1960 and 1968, thanks to his lessons, many illiterate Italians learned to read and write. It is estimated that, during this period, around one and a half million Italians obtained their elementary school diploma.
Italian is a language characterized by a rich vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and semantic nuances. A complete dictionary may contain anywhere from 80,000 to 250,000 words, though not all of them are in common use. Research conducted a few years ago revealed that in daily conversations, about half of the population uses only 3,000 words. On one hand, this highlights the importance of reading as a means of enriching vocabulary and enhancing conceptual understanding. On the other hand, it demonstrates how the natural tendency toward simplification can strip the Italian language of its rich nuances.
These variations are a result of Italy’s long history and the cultural legacies left by the many dominations that have crossed its path. They also reveal a living language that continues to evolve, change, forget certain words, and introduce others. Every year, dictionaries are updated with neologisms, youth slang, and colloquial expressions, keeping pace with both the spoken language and Italians’ tendency toward foreign words (with English words often being overused, even when Italian equivalents exist).
In this context, the work of the Accademia della Crusca is particularly noteworthy. The world’s oldest linguistic academy, it was founded with the goal of studying the national Italian language. Established in Florence in 1582, it aimed to separate the “wheat” (the good language, identified with 14th-century Florentine) from the “chaff.” Today, the Academy publishes an online list of new words, prefaced by a “note to readers” that explains: “If the editorial team dedicates a detailed entry to a word, this does not mean that it is promoting its use. The entries are meant to serve as tools for understanding and deepening knowledge of a language—our language—which is constantly evolving. The words that become part of Italian, like those of any natural language, cannot be decided or chosen from above, but are those that spontaneously take root in the speakers’ usage, based on the normal dynamics of how languages function.”
Language is the primary means by which a culture expresses itself, and speaking it is a way to understand that culture. It is no coincidence that L’Italo-Americano is published in two languages—the one spoken daily (English) and the one studied, loved, or remembered (Italian). It is also no coincidence that those who enroll in an Italian course at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles receive a free digital subscription to our newspaper. Language must be practiced, and this is an invitation to read our pages to discover, through the myriad nuances of Italian, the ever-changing colors of Italy’s stories and places. Choosing to receive L’Italo-Americano at home is an excellent way to stay connected with, or become familiar with, Italy’s culture and beauty. After all, it only costs 24 euros to receive a copy for an entire year!