The Roots of Italian: Where It All Began and Where It's Official Today
- Irion Dekov
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Author: Angelo Di Cola
Let’s face it—Italian is one of those languages that just sounds good. Maybe it's the melody, maybe it’s the way people speak with their hands while using it, or maybe it's just that everything sounds more delicious in Italian. Either way, there’s a whole lot of history behind it, and believe it or not, Italian is more widespread than you'd think.
In this post, we're gonna take a quick walk through where Italian comes from and where people actually speak it as an official language today. Sound good? Let's dive in.
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How Did Italian Even Start?
Alright, real talk: Italian didn’t magically appear one day. Like many modern languages in Europe, it evolved from Latin—but not the scholarly, stiff kind you hear in movies about ancient Rome. We’re talking about Vulgar Latin, the casual, everyday version regular folks spoke.
Over time, that Latin started changing—a lot. Different parts of what we now call Italy developed their own ways of speaking. Fast forward to the Middle Ages, and one particular area, Tuscany, started standing out. A few writers from that region—especially this guy named Dante Alighieri—began writing important stuff in their local dialect instead of Latin. Dante’s Divine Comedy became a huge hit, and it basically put Tuscan Italian on the map.
Later on, other big names like Petrarch and Boccaccio followed the same path. And just like that, the Tuscan dialect slowly started becoming the standard, especially for anything literary or official.
That said, people all over Italy still spoke their own regional dialects—and they still do today, by the way. It wasn’t until Italy became a unified country in the 1800s that there was a real push to get everyone using one common language. And yeah, Tuscan won that battle.
Where People Actually Speak Italian Officially
So, where is Italian used as an official language today? You might be surprised—it’s not just Italy!
Italy – No surprise here. Italian is the country’s main language, taught in schools, used by the government, and heard pretty much everywhere. Though, don’t be shocked if you visit and hear people chatting in different local dialects, those are still very much alive.
Switzerland – Yep! Italian is one of four official languages here. It’s mostly spoken in Ticino and some areas of Graubünden. Swiss Italian sounds slightly different but is totally understandable.
San Marino – This tiny republic surrounded by Italy? They use Italian too—it’s the only official language.
Vatican City – Technically, Latin is the official language of the Vatican, but in practice, Italian is the go-to for daily communication.
Parts of Istria (Croatia and Slovenia) – In certain towns and regions, especially where there are historical Italian communities, Italian is recognized as a co-official language alongside the local ones.
Pretty cool, right?
Why Italian Still Kicks
Okay, so why should anyone care about Italian today?
For starters, it’s the language of culture—we’re talking world-class art, music, film, architecture, and oh yeah, food. Ever tried reading an opera libretto or ordering in an Italian restaurant and not felt just a little bit cooler doing it?
Plus, there are big Italian-speaking communities in places like Argentina, Canada, the U.S., and Australia, thanks to migration over the past couple of centuries. Some of these communities are still passing the language down through generations.
Also, Italian is an official language of the European Union and pops up in a bunch of international events, meetings, and institutions. So it’s not just a beautiful language, it’s a useful one too.
Wrapping It All Up
So there you have it. Italian started off as one of many dialects, got a big boost from Dante and his literary pals, and slowly grew into the beautiful, expressive language we know today. It’s official in multiple countries and still plays a major role in global culture and communication.
Thinking about learning Italian? Go for it. It’s not just useful, it’s genuinely fun. And honestly, if you’ve ever said "ciao" or "gelato" out loud, you’ve already started.