Which kind of Italian dialect is the most beautiful one?

G-TALK   Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:11 am GMT
In Italy, which kind of Italian dialect is the most beautiful one? Milan dialect? Rome dialect? Florence dialect? Naples dialect? Toscana dialect(Standard Italian)? or some others? Please explain it in detail. Thank you very much!
Guest   Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:44 am GMT
You mean that farm boy using Rosetta Stone now has to choose the most beautiful dialect to impress that Italian supermodel?
G-TALK   Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:23 am GMT
As I was told, Milan dialect is very different from standard Itlian, is it right?
Guest   Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:34 am GMT
As Ziad Fazah (no, just joking, I am not), I recommend that you go to Wikipedia (sometimes good, sometimes not) and type in Italian Dialects. There is an interesting map (but no opinions on the most beautiful type) and some links at the bottom.
G-TALK   Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:48 am GMT
Characteristics of the Urban Dialects

1, Milan
The dialect of Milan, or Milanese, is classified as a Septentrional dialect, specifically in the Gallo-Italic sub-group. As in German and French, the front vowels ö and ü are present: fök (fuoco), kör (cuore), brüt (brutto).

2, Venice
Venetian is, like Milanese, a Septentrional dialect; but falls under a different sub-group: the Venetic. Unlike Milanese, Venetian does not have the "gallic" vowels ö and ü and in this respect bears some resemblances to the Tuscan dialects to the south. The verb xe serves in the third person for the standard è (is), and sono (are). Double consonants are to some extent singularized in Venetian: el galo (il gallo), el leto (il letto); note also the use of the masculine article el (il).

3, Florence
The Tuscan dialects, including Florentine, are the most conservative of the Italian dialects. An example of its conservatism is seen in the retention of the consonant cluster -nd- as in quando; in most dialects, this cluster is leveled to -nn-, e.g. quanno. This feature is also true of modern standard Italian, which is based on the literary Florentine that Dante and Petrarch wrote in. Nevertheless, there are some local peculiarities that differentiate Florentine from Standard Italian. The most striking is the so-called "gorgia Toscana", the throaty aspiration of stops that is thought to have a root in Etruscan phonology. The gorgia has a sound like the Greek chi or German ch, similar to a raspy English h. Thus we hear chasa for casa (house), ficho for fico (fig); a similar aspiration also occurs before medial t: andatho or andaho (andato), datho or daho (dato).

4, Rome
In Romanesco we see a few deviations from standard Italian. Firstly, -nd- is commonly leveled to -nn-: thus, quanno (quando), monno (mondo). The standard gl (similar to the -lli- in English million) is realized as j (pronounced like the English y): vojo (voglio); maja (maglia). We also see r substituted for l in some positions: er core (il cuore); and vorta (volta).

5, Naples
The Neapolitan dialect, Napoletano, is the best known dialect aside from the standard language, due to its heavy use is popular Italian songs. It is a typical Meridional dialect, in that initial chi- takes the place of pi-; thus chiù (più), and chiove (piove). Final, unaccented vowels are often pronounced as a undifferentiated vowel, similar to the English schwa. The articles (excepting ll') in Napoletano are clipped to bare vowels: 'o libbro (il libro), 'a casa (la casa), 'e piatte (i piatti).
Guest   Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:47 pm GMT
I don't understand you, G-talk. If you already know about Italian dialects, why are you asking? I'd love to hear some sound files of these accents, though. Anyone have any?
Guest   Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:50 pm GMT
The best dialect is the Roman one.
Guest   Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:53 pm GMT
Venice
Venetian is, like Milanese, a Septentrional dialect; but falls under a different sub-group: the Venetic. Unlike Milanese, Venetian does not have the "gallic" vowels ö and ü and in this respect bears some resemblances to the Tuscan dialects to the south. The verb xe serves in the third person for the standard è (is), and sono (are). Double consonants are to some extent singularized in Venetian: el galo (il gallo), el leto (il letto); note also the use of the masculine article el (il).

As far as this paragrah says, Venetian seems as Italian spoken by a Spanish speaker .
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:31 am GMT
"As far as this paragrah says, Venetian seems as Italian spoken by a Spanish speaker ."

In some way, yes. But it flows extremely softly, in a nearly feminine way.

Whatever the local dialect, everybody in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan or Turin is able to speak a very clean Italian, clearly articulated and easy to understand.

But beware of Venice and Naples. Most people there use a faulty pronunciation, they can't help from randomly mixing standard Italian with dialect.
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:50 am GMT
What about Sicily and Sardinia?
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:00 am GMT
G-Talk just wants to start arguments. He asks when he's already an expert making stupid 'which is more beautiful' statements. When will people stop making ridiculous statements about beauty of alnguages which is 100% subjective.
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:15 am GMT
Is it true that the Italian spoken in Torino sounds a bit like French?
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:24 am GMT
"G-Talk just wants to start arguments. He asks when he's already an expert making stupid 'which is more beautiful' statements. When will people stop making ridiculous statements about beauty of alnguages which is 100% subjective"

I agree with that. It's that hilarious "Which language sounds the prettiest?" question. Languages aren't beauty queens, even though some people think so.
G-TALK   Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:41 am GMT
<G-Talk just wants to start arguments>.


NO! You got me wrong. I just would like to know more about it by hearing others out.
Guest   Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:47 am GMT
Where do they speak the weirdest Italian?