Laura Lewakowski
asked:
What does it mean when someone"spoke in dialect", or in "thick dialect"? I understand that the book was originally written in Italian, but I'm not getting the importance of noting that the character was speaking in dialect at random times.
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Martha
Symbolically, speaking in dialect is done between family and people of the neighborhood; it's a way to identify who "belongs" and who is "other". It's also a class thing - people of the same class share a dialect, but when talking to someone of a different class, like a teacher or banker, one switches to standard Italian. The most uneducated speakers can't speak standard Italian, which indicates they will never be able to leave their neighborhood.
Practically, the dialects are quite different, even to English-only ears. These videos let you listen to the differences between regional dialects. Northern speakers are affected by French and German, southern speakers by Greek, Arabic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwerQ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEEPy...
And for fun, watch the Detective Montalbano TV shows for a good dose of Sicilian,with captions!
Practically, the dialects are quite different, even to English-only ears. These videos let you listen to the differences between regional dialects. Northern speakers are affected by French and German, southern speakers by Greek, Arabic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwerQ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEEPy...
And for fun, watch the Detective Montalbano TV shows for a good dose of Sicilian,with captions!
David
The various dialects within a country are often mutually unintelligible. For example, I lived in German for years, and my wife was from the far north near Bremen, where Friesisch is still spoken. We lived in Munich, however, and often when travelling in the countryside she couldn't understand anything that was said, if the people were speaking Bairisch. I have no doubt that the Naples dialect is as impenetrable to a Milanese.
Claudia Majetich
Wikipedia has a very good article about the linguistic differences within modern-day Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languag...
Wicca
Naples has it's own dialect and it is very different than classic Italian. They have different words, and speak with a different style. The language is Neapolitan - Here is something I found that might help:
Neapolitan is a Romance language spoken by about seven or eight million people in southern Italy, especially in the city of Naples (Nàpule/Napoli) and in Campania and southern Lazio. Neapolitan is part of a continuum of dialects spoken in most of southern Italy, though many would only use the term "Neapolitan" only to refer to the dialects spoken in and around Naples.
Neapolitan developed from Vulgar Latin, like most of the other languages and dialects spoken in Italy, and also contains some influences from Oscan and Greek.
Today Neapolitan is used mainly as a spoken language, though it has been used in literature since the 15th century. It has no official status and is not used in education, but is often used in popular songs.
Think of it as French Canadian is related to French. Many people from France do not understand Quebecois - the language the French Canadians speak. But they are both "french".
Neapolitan is a Romance language spoken by about seven or eight million people in southern Italy, especially in the city of Naples (Nàpule/Napoli) and in Campania and southern Lazio. Neapolitan is part of a continuum of dialects spoken in most of southern Italy, though many would only use the term "Neapolitan" only to refer to the dialects spoken in and around Naples.
Neapolitan developed from Vulgar Latin, like most of the other languages and dialects spoken in Italy, and also contains some influences from Oscan and Greek.
Today Neapolitan is used mainly as a spoken language, though it has been used in literature since the 15th century. It has no official status and is not used in education, but is often used in popular songs.
Think of it as French Canadian is related to French. Many people from France do not understand Quebecois - the language the French Canadians speak. But they are both "french".
Zeljana
Speaking in dialect also signifies social class. Uneducated people may have on learnt only the dialect. Even if they had been able to speak "proper Italian", in certain circles using it may have come across as snobbish. It is a little different than slang.
Josipa
If I understand correctly, people assume it was the translator who added the random comments about dialect - it wasn't, it is the same way in the original. Everything was written in italian, with some comments how this particular sentence was spoken in italian or in dialect. Which an interesting choice bythe author
Fernando
It is my understanding that prior to the unification, there was no «Italian» but a bunch of dialects that spread all over Italy. It is very common that countries born to these unions faced troubles when it came to choose the official language. What we call Italian was actually the dialect spoken in Florence that became the standard because of its prestige.
Now I wonder wether a non-Neapolitan Italian can understand the dialect or the differences are derisory. (If someone knows it, please enlight me!). Now I'm inclined to think Neapolitan it's difficult to read even for Italians, otherwise the author would've simply transcribed the words in dialect, at least a few times. Maybe that's exactly what she did, and it was adapted by the translator. It's hard to say.
Dialect is important throughout the story since it depicts the enormous social gap the characters face.
Now I wonder wether a non-Neapolitan Italian can understand the dialect or the differences are derisory. (If someone knows it, please enlight me!). Now I'm inclined to think Neapolitan it's difficult to read even for Italians, otherwise the author would've simply transcribed the words in dialect, at least a few times. Maybe that's exactly what she did, and it was adapted by the translator. It's hard to say.
Dialect is important throughout the story since it depicts the enormous social gap the characters face.
Mark
I think when the characters speak with emphasis and are determined not to be misunderstood they often 'slip into the vernacular' as we say in UK, they speak their 'local dialect' as this is their common cultural currency and there is no need to search for the more formal Italian in which their emotional responses might be diluted. So their 'dialect' is very much part of their identity from the 'wrong side of the tracks'
Linda C
I agree, it is annoying me also. Possibly could be a translation misstep. There was one scene where Elena spoke in Italian and her friends didn't understand her. Would have been better for the author to explain once that the residents of the neighborhood spoke in a local dialect while Elena learned proper Italian at school and been done with it. I think we could remember that information.
CLM
Think of it as the difference between cockney English (in My Fair Lady, Liza Doolittle is hard for the upper class Brits to understand, except Professor Higgins who studies languages) and the upscale English heard on the BBC (or Masterpiece Theatre). http://www.naplesldm.com/napolect.htm
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