Languages of Italy

Central Italian Group

Regions: Lazio, Umbria, Marche

Central Italian dialects form a transitional zone between Tuscan and Southern Italo-Romance varieties. They are distinct from both and show unique phonological and lexical features. These dialects are less standardized than Tuscan or Neapolitan and vary significantly between provinces.

History and Classification

These dialects belong to the Italo-Romance group and have evolved from Vulgar Latin with influences from Tuscan, Neapolitan, and even Gallo-Italic dialects in northern Marche. Despite being overshadowed by Standard Italian, they retain cultural and historical significance.

Examples

Romanesco (Rome):

Che stai a fa'? Vieni qui!
Standard Italian: Cosa stai facendo? Vieni qui!
English: What are you doing? Come here!

Umbrian (Perugia):

Mo che vòi? Nun t'ho capito.
Standard Italian: Ma cosa vuoi? Non ti ho capito.
English: What do you want? I didn’t understand you.

Marchigiano (Ancona):

Com’a và? Ce semo capiti bene?
Standard Italian: Come va? Ci siamo capiti bene?
English: How’s it going? Did we understand each other?
Central Italian dialect map

Dialects and Variants

  • Romanesco – Spoken in Rome and surrounding areas.
  • Umbrian – Dialects of Perugia, Terni, and rural areas.
  • Marchigiano – Includes northern and southern varieties.

Audio Samples

Current Status

Central dialects are widely understood and still spoken informally, though less frequently by younger generations. Romanesco, thanks to cinema and media, remains vibrant and culturally prominent. Other varieties are more localized and susceptible to decline without active preservation efforts.