# Languages of Calabria

The primary languages of Calabria are the Italian language as well as regional varieties of Extreme Southern Italian and Neapolitan languages, all collectively known as Calabrian (Italian: calabrese). In addition, there are speakers of the Arbëresh variety of Albanian, as well as Calabrian Greek speakers and pockets of Occitan.

## Calabrian (calabrese)

Calabrian (Italian: calabrese) refers to the Romance varieties spoken in Calabria, Italy. The varieties of Calabria are part of a strong dialect continuum that are generally recognizable as Calabrian, but that are usually divided into two different language groups:
* In the southern two-thirds of the region, the Calabrian varieties are grouped as Central-Southern Calabrian, and are usually classified as part of Extreme Southern Italian (italiano meridionale estremo) language group
* In the northern one-third of the region, the Calabrian dialects are often classified typologically with Neapolitan language (it: napoletano calabrese) and are called Northern Calabrian or just Cosentian.
The Amantea-Cirò line is generally considered an approximate demarcation between the Neapolitan and Extreme Southern Italian groups.
The linguistic division roughly corresponds with the historic administrative division already in place since medieval times: Calabria Citeriore (or Latin Calabria) and Calabria Ulteriore (or Greek Calabria). This is a broad generalization and many communities in the more central parts of the region exhibit features of both language groups.
The dialects of Calabria have been extensively studied, catalogued and commented upon by German philologist Gerhard Rohlfs. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1970s, he traveled the region extensively and assembled a very extensive, multi-volume dictionary.
| English | Southern Calabrian | Northern Calabrian | Italian |
| tomorrow | rumàni | crai / dumàni | domani |
| in the meantime | asciatàntu / shramènti | interimme | frattanto |
| the day before last | avantèri | nustierzu | ieri l'altro |
| to yawn | sbadigghjàri | alare/galà | sbadigliare |

## Central–Southern Calabrian

The areas where Central–Southern Calabrian (calabbrisi or calavrisi, in Sicilian) is spoken corresponds generally to the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Catanzaro, the southern part of Crotone (Crotone, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Cutro and vicinity) and southern Cilento. The term Sicilian-Calabrian is also used to distinguish the group from the Northern Calabrian group. It comprises Central Calabrian and Southern Calabrian.
The primary roots of the dialects is Latin. Southern and Central Calabrian dialects are strongly influenced by a Greek substratum and ensuing levels of Latin influence and other external Southern Italian superstrata, in part hindered by geography, resulted in the many local variations found between the idioms of Calabria. Nonetheless, the dialects have some influence from other languages, thanks to the periodic rule and influx of other cultures. As a result, French, Occitan and Spanish have left an imprint.
| Central-Southern Calabrian | Greek | Albanian | Sicilian | Italian | French | English |
| batràci | βάτραχος | bretkosë | larunchia | ranocchio | grenouille | frog |
| zinnapòtamu | κυνοπόταμος | vidër | lutra | lontra | loutre | otter |
| bampurìddha / lampurìdda / vampurìddha | λαμπυρίδα | xixëllonjë | - | lucciola | luciole | firefly |
| purtuàllu | πορτοκάλι | portokall | partugaḍḍu | arancia | orange | orange |
| 'nnaca | νάκη | djep | naca | culla | berceau | cradle |
| tuppitiàri | τύπτω | godit | (at)tuppari | battere | battre | to hit |
French and Norman vocabulary entered the region via the kingdoms of the Normans and the Angevins in Calabria.
| Central-Southern Calabrian | Norman or French | Sicilian | Italian | English |
| 'ccattari | accater (cf. accapitāre) | (a)ccattari | comprare | to buy |
| 'nduja | andouille | sausizzuḍḍa | salsicciotto | type of sausage |
| buccirìa | boucherie | (v)uccirìa | macelleria | butcher's |
| arrocculàri | reculer | (a)rruccul(j)ari/(a)rruzzulari | rotolare | to recoil |
| raggia | rage | raggia | rabbia | anger |
| sciarabàllu | carriole (char à bancs) | (menzu) scarruzziatu | veicolo sbatacchiato | charabanc |
| travagghiari | travailler | travagghiari | lavorare | to work |
Other words derived from Spanish, Catalan, and Occitan:
* capezza – cabeza (Spanish) – head
* scupetta – escopeta (Spanish) – rifle
* muccaturi – mocador (Catalan) – tissue
* prescia – pressa (Catalan) – precipitation
* timpa – timba (Catalan) – abrupt
* addhumari – allumar (Occitan, French, Provençal) – light up
* truppicari – trompicar (Spanish) – trip

### Conjugations
#### Èssiri (to be)

| | Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect |
| (j)eu | sugnu | era | fuja | chi fussi | fussi |
| tu(ni) | si' | eri | fusti | chi fussi | fussi |
| iddhu, iddha | esti | era | fu(i) | chi fussi | fussi |
| nu(i) | simu | èrumu | fummu | chi fùssimu | fùssimu |
| vu(i) | siti | eru | fustu | chi fustu | fùssivu |
| iddhi | sunnu | èrunu | furu | chi fùssiru | fùssiru |

#### A(v)iri (to have)

| | Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present | Subjunctive imperfect |
| (j)eu | aju | aiva | eppi | chi aissi | aissi |
| tu(ni) | ai | aivi | aisti | chi aissi | aissi |
| iddhu, iddha | avi | aiva | eppi | chi aissi | aissi |
| nui | aimu | aìvumu | èppimu | chi aìssimu | aìssimu |
| vui | aiti | aivu | aistu | chi aìssivu | aìssivu |
| iddhi | ànnu | aìvunu | èppiru | chi aìssiru | aìssiru |

### Dialects

* Reggino dialect ("u riggitanu" in Reggino or, previuosly, also "(l)u rijitanu"): the dialect with the most speakers, and cites Reggio Calabria as its cultural centre. This dialect is very similar to the dialect of Messina in Sicily.
* Dialects of the Chjana: spoken in the plains of Gioia Tauro (Piana di Gioia Tauro), a micro-region situated north of Aspromonte.
* Locride dialects: spoken on the east coast of the Province of Reggio Calabria.
* Catanzaro dialect used in the area of the Gulf of Squillace.

### Comparison of the Central-Southern Calabrian Dialects

* Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
* In Italian:
Tutti gli esseri umani nascono liberi ed eguali in dignità e diritti. Essi sono dotati di ragione e di coscienza e devono agire gli uni verso gli altri in spirito di fratellanza.
| Reggino | Piana di Gioia Tauro | Locride | Catanzaro | Alto Jonica |
| "Tutti i cristiani | "Tutti l'òmani | "Tutti i perzuni | "Tutti l'òmini | "Tutti l'uàmini |
| nàsciunu lìbberi | nàscinu lìbbèri | nèsciunu lìbberi | nèscianu lìbberi | nàscianu lìbberi |
| e ntâ stessa manera | e 'â stessa manera | e ntâ stessa manera | e sunnu | e su' |
| 'i l'authri | di l'atri | di l'atti | i stessi | i stessi |
| pi dignità e diritti. | pe dignità e diritti. | pe dignità e diritti. | pe dignità e diritti. | pe dignità e diritti. |
| Iddhi ndannu | Tutti ndannu | Iji ndannu | Ognunu ava u cerveddhu | Ognunu tena u cerivìaddru |
| ognunu u so ciriveddhu | ognunu u so cervellu | ognunu u cerveju | soi e a raggiuna | sue e a raggiune sua |
| mi 'rraggiùnunu | pemmu reggiùnanu | soi pemmu raggiùnanu | e a cuscenza sua | e a cuscìanza sua |
| e ndannu mi càmpunu | e ndannu pemmu càmpanu | e ndannu u càmpanu | e ava ma si cumporta | e s'a' de comportare |
| unu cu l'authru | unu cu l'atru | unu cu l'attu | cu l'atri propriu | cu l'atri propriu |
| comu mi sunnu frati | comu frati figgji | comu frati figgji | comu si fhussèranu | cuamu si fòranu |
| râ stessa matri." | dâ stessa mamma." | dâ stessa matri." | i frati soi." | frati sui." |

## Northern Calabrian (Cosentian)

The Northern Calabrian dialects are largely found in the Province of Cosenza and are similar to the Neapolitan language. The northern fringes are an area of transitional dialects which give way to Campanian and Lucanian dialects.
The map shows the Cosentian dialects (Ve) and transitional dialects (Vd) occurring in Cosenza province.

### Conjugations
#### Esse (to be)

| | Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present |
| iu | signu | era | signu statu | fossa |
| tu(ni) | si' | eri | si' statu | fossi |
| iddru, iddra | è | era | è statu | fossa |
| nua | simu | èramu | simu stati | fòssimu |
| vua | siti | èrati | siti stati | fòssati |
| iddri(o loro) | su' | èranu | su' stati | fòssaru |

#### Avì (to have)

| | Present | Imperfect | Past simple | Subjunctive present |
| iu | aju | avìa | ê (aju) avutu | avissa |
| tu(ni) | a' | avii | a' avutu | avissi |
| iddru, iddra | a' | avìa | a' avutu | avissa |
| nua | avimu | avìamu | amu avutu | avìssamu |
| vua | aviti | avìati | avit' avutu or ât' avutu | avvìssati |
| iddri | ànnu | avìanu | ànnu avutu | avìssaru |

## Comparison of Central-Southern and Northern Calabrian

* Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
* In Italian:
Tutti gli esseri umani nascono liberi ed eguali in dignità e diritti. Essi sono dotati di ragione e di coscienza e devono agire gli uni verso gli altri in spirito di fratellanza.
* In Reggino (Central-Southern Calabrian) and Cosentian (Northern Calabrian):
| Reggino | Cosentian |
| "Tutti i cristiàni | "Tutti i ggìenti |
| nàsciunu libberi | nascianu libberi |
| e ntâ stessa manèra | e 'gguali |
| ill'authri | all'àtri |
| pi dignità e diritti. | ppì ddignità e diritti. |
| Iddhi ndànnu | Ognunu |
| ognunu u so ciriveddhu | tena cirbìeddru |
| mi 'rraggiùnunu | raggiune e cuscìenza |
| e 'ndannu mi càmpunu | e s'ha de cumbortà |
| unu cull'authru | cull'atri |
| comu mi sùnnu fràti | cumu si li fòssaru |
| râ stessa matri." | frati." |