Languages of Italy

Gallo-Italic Group

Regions: Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Valle d'Aosta

The Gallo-Italic languages are spoken across much of northern Italy and are linguistically distinct from both Standard Italian and the central-southern dialects. They include Piedmontese, Ligurian, Lombard, and Emilian-Romagnol. These languages developed under strong influence from the Gallo-Romance branch of the Romance family, sharing features with French and Occitan.

History and Classification

The Gallo-Italic group emerged during the early Middle Ages and shows clear linguistic divergence from Tuscan-based Italian. These languages evolved from Latin in a region that was influenced by Celtic and Gaulish languages during Roman times and later by Frankish and Lombardic invaders. They are part of the Western Romance subgroup, unlike Standard Italian, which belongs to the Italo-Dalmatian branch.

Examples

Piedmontese:

A l'é nen mach na lenga, a l'é n'anima.
Standard Italian: Non è solo una lingua, è un'anima.
English: It's not just a language, it's a soul.

Ligurian (Genoese):

O l'è un gran bel giorn pe' n'andâ a spassâ.
Standard Italian: È una bellissima giornata per fare una passeggiata.
English: It's a beautiful day to go for a walk.

Lombard (Western):

L'è mej ona parola in man che des in boca.
Standard Italian: È meglio una parola in mano che dieci in bocca.
English: One word in hand is better than ten in the mouth.

Emilian:

A j é dimòndi manîri ed dîr la stéssa ròba.
Standard Italian: Ci sono molti modi di dire la stessa cosa.
English: There are many ways to say the same thing.
Map of Gallo-Italic language regions

Dialects and Variants

  • Piedmontese – Spoken in the Piedmont region; has a strong literary tradition.
  • Ligurian – Includes Genoese; spoken in Liguria and some coastal areas.
  • Lombard – Split into Western and Eastern varieties.
  • Emilian-Romagnol – Often considered two dialects; Emilian in the west, Romagnol in the east.

Audio Samples

Current Status

While millions of people in northern Italy understand or speak a Gallo-Italic variety, active use has declined significantly, especially among younger generations. These languages are often considered dialects of Italian but are not mutually intelligible with it. They have little to no formal recognition, and their use is mostly informal and familial.