Venetian Group

Regions: Veneto, parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino

Venetian is a Romance language spoken mainly in the Veneto region, with significant communities in parts of Friuli, Trentino, and even abroad. Despite often being referred to as a dialect, it is linguistically distinct from Standard Italian and has a long literary tradition.

History and Classification

Venetian evolved from Vulgar Latin with influences from Gallo-Italic and Italo-Romance varieties. It was the language of the Republic of Venice, used in trade, literature, and administration. While not officially recognized by the Italian state, it has regional support and cultural significance.

Examples

Venetian (Venice):

No xe solo na lengua, xe parte de la nostra vita.
Standard Italian: Non è solo una lingua, è parte della nostra vita.
English: It’s not just a language, it’s part of our life.

Venetian (Padua):

A go sempre parlà cusì, da picenìn.
Standard Italian: Ho sempre parlato così, da piccolo.
English: I've always spoken like this, since I was little.

Venetian (Treviso):

Parlar venessian xe parlar co'l còr.
Standard Italian: Parlare veneziano è parlare con il cuore.
English: Speaking Venetian is speaking with the heart.

Dialects and Variants

Central Venetian – Spoken in Venice and surrounding areas.
Western Venetian – Found in Verona, Vicenza, Padua.
Northern Venetian – Belluno and alpine areas.
Venetian Abroad – Brazil (Talian), Mexico, USA.

Audio Samples

Venetian: Wikitongues: Franco speaking Venetian
Venetian: Venetian Language Overview
Talian (Brazil): Talian Speaker from Monte Belo do Sul
Talian (Brazil): Talian Speakers from Venda Nova do Imigrante

Current Status

Venetian is widely spoken informally across all age groups in Veneto. Although not recognized nationally, it is used in media, literature, and local government communications. It faces challenges from Italian-language education, but benefits from strong cultural pride and cross-generational use.