Southern Italian

Southern Italian (Dialetti italiani meridionali) is a group of Italo-Western Romance dialects spoken in Southern Lazio, Southern Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Apulia, and Northern Calabria. Part of a language continuum, they are all are mutually intelligible and are often referred to as Neapolitan languages (based on Naples' historic role as capital of the region). According to Ethnologue, the dialects are grouped as Napoletano-Calabrese and are given the status of language. Some consider the dialects simply as Italian dialects affected by a samnite substratum.

The following are considered Southern Italian dialects:

• Eastern Abruzzese and Southern Marchigiano
  • Southern Marchigiano (Fermo, Ascoli Piceno)
  • Teramano (province of Teramo, northern province of Pescara: Atri)
  • Abruzzese adriatico (Southern province of Pescara: (Penne, Francavilla al Mare), province of Chieti
• Western Abruzzese (southern part of province of L'Aquila: Pescina, Sulmona, Pescasseroli, Roccaraso)
• Molisano (Molise)
• Campano (Campania)
  • Southern Laziale (southern part of province of Frosinone: Sora, Cassino; southern part of Province of Latina: Gaeta, Formia)
  • Neapolitan (as spoken in (Naples and the Gulf of Naples)
  • Irpino (province of Avellino)
  • Cilentano (southern part of province of Salerno: Vallo della Lucania)
• Apulian (Pugliese)
  • Dauno (western province of Foggia: Foggia, Bovino)
  • Garganico (eastern province of Foggia: Gargano, Vieste, Manfredonia)
  • Barese (province of Bari, western province of Taranto: Gioia del Colle).
• Lucanian and Northern Calabrian
  • North-western Lucanian (northern province of Potenza: Potenza, Melfi).
  • North-eastern Lucanian (province of Matera: Matera, Gravina di Puglia)
  • Central Lucanian (province of Potenza: Lagonegro, Pisticci, Laurenzana)
  • “Lausberg Area” (archaic forms of Lucanian with Sardinian vocalism), between Calabria and Basilicata (Chiaromonte, Oriolo)
  • Cosentino (province of Cosenza: Rossano, Diamante, Castrovillari with transitional dialects south of Cosenza giving way to Sicilian dialects).

Northern border of Southern Italian in magenta.

External links

• Pellegrini's map