Languages of Italy

Friulian and Slovene

Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

This northeastern region is home to two important linguistic minorities: Friulian and Slovene. Friulian is a Rhaeto-Romance language with close ties to Ladin and Romansh, while Slovene is a South Slavic language spoken in border communities. Both have legal recognition and enjoy various degrees of institutional support.

History and Classification

Friulian developed from Latin independently of Italian, with notable influence from surrounding Romance languages. Slovene in Italy has been present for centuries, especially in the Julian Alps and coastal areas. Both groups have preserved their linguistic identity despite Italianization pressures in the 20th century.

Examples

Friulian:

La nestre lenghe e je une ricjece di dut il popul.
Standard Italian: La nostra lingua è una ricchezza di tutto il popolo.
English: Our language is a treasure for all people.

Slovene:

Naš jezik je del naše identitete.
Standard Italian: La nostra lingua è parte della nostra identità.
English: Our language is part of our identity.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia linguistic map

Dialects and Variants

  • Central Friulian – Spoken in Udine and surrounding areas.
  • Western and Carnic Friulian – Varieties found in the mountains and west.
  • Slovene (Littoral) – Used in Trieste, Gorizia, and mountain valleys.

Audio Samples

Current Status

Friulian is taught in some schools and used in public signage. Slovene enjoys co-official status in certain municipalities and has support through Slovene-language media and education. Both languages face demographic and political challenges but benefit from cultural pride and legal protections.