Gallurese
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Gallurese (Template:Lang) is a Romance dialect of the Italo-Dalmatian family spoken in the region of Gallura, northeastern Sardinia. Gallurese is variously described as a distinct southern dialect of Corsican or transitional language of the dialect continuum between Corsican and Sardinian. "Gallurese International Day" (Template:Lang) takes place each year in Palau (Sardinia) with the participation of orators from other areas, including Corsica.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gallurese is generally considered a southern Corsican dialect,<ref name=Harris /> sharing close resemblance in morphology and vocabulary with the dialects of Sartene and Porto-Vecchio on Corsica, whereas its phonology and syntax are similar to those of Sardinian.<ref name="Palau">Template:Cite web</ref> One third of Gallurese vocabulary is also influenced by Logudorese Sardinian, Catalan, and Spanish.<ref name="Palau" />
The Sassarese language, spoken in the area of Sassari, shares similar transitional traits between Tuscan, Corsican and Sardinian but, in comparison with Gallurese, is definitely closer to the Logudorese dialects of Sardinian.
History
[edit]The most ancient literary sources in Gallurese date back to the early 17th century, mainly as poetry and religious odes. Some late Middle Age fragments suggest that the formation of the language could be dated to the early 15th century. The origin and the development of Gallurese are debated. Max Leopold Wagner and Maurice Le Lannou argued that successive migration waves from Southern Corsica, promoted under the Aragonese rule to repopulate an area devastated by famine and pandemics, were crucial in the formation of a transitional language.
Typical constitutional elements of Gallurese
[edit]
- the plural form of nouns in -i (ghjanni or polti 'doors') are like in Corsican and Italian, and not as in -s like in Sardinian (jannas, portas), French, Spanish, Catalan, etc.
- Latin 'll' has become -dd- (like casteddu, coraddu 'castle', 'coral'), the same as in Sardinian, southern Corsican and Sicilian (but castellu, corallu in northern Corsican);
- -r- modified to -l- (poltu 'port', while portu in Corsican and Sardinian);
- -chj- and -ghj- sounds (ghjesgia 'church', occhji 'eyes'), like in Corsican, while Sardinian is cresia, ogros.
- articles lu, la, li, like in ancient Corsican dialects (u, a, i in modern Corsican, su, sa, sos, sas in Sardinian);
Relation to Corsican
[edit]Gallurese is classified by some linguists as a dialect of Corsican,<ref>Blasco Ferrer 1984: 180–186, 200</ref><ref>Contini 1987: 1°, 500–503</ref><ref>Dettori 2002</ref> and by others as a dialect of Sardinian.<ref>Loporcaro 2009: 159–167</ref> In any case, a great deal of similarity exists between Southern Corsican dialects and Gallurese, while there is relatively more distance from the neighbouring Sardinian varieties.
Concluding the debate speech, the Sardinian linguist Mauro Maxia stated as follows: Template:Blockquote
The Regional Government of Sardinia has recognized Gallurese, along with Sassarese as separate languages, distinct from Sardinian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sample of text
[edit]An excerpt from a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Standard Italian | Southern Corsican | Gallurese | Sassarese | Logudorese Sardinian | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Lang | Template:Lang | Template:Lang | Template:Lang | Template:Lang | <poem>
You were born of enchantment Delightful beauty The best of Luogosanto The most beautiful in Gallura. You are so beautiful that every heart Falls in love with you A flower to my eyes The best one that there is. I am old and grey And my time is passing by But I am always cheering up The same way as when you met me. No matter how many fields I must till I will always honor Luogosanto For it is a land of enchantment For whoever comes to visit it. The Patron of Gallura Is here for us in Luogosanto Crowned by hymns Such a splendid creature.</poem> |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Maxia, Mauro. Studi sardo-corsi: Dialettologia e storia della lingua tra le due isole. Accademia della Lingua Gallurese; Istituto di Filologia (2010).
- Elementi di grammatica gallurese, Antoninu Rubattu
- Von Wartburg, Walther. La fragmentation linguistique de la Romania. Paris, Librairie C. Klincksieck, 1967.
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