Ateneo - UPO

HISTORY OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE part 2. The “QUESTIONE DELLA LINGUA”: eight centuries of debates on the Italian language from Dante to the present days.

1. C. MARAZZINI, La lingua italiana. Storia, testi, strumenti, Bologna, il Mulino, 2015 (chapters 1, 8-21).

2. Texts, sources, ppt, and free online books archived in DIR page of the course.

1. Good basic knowledge on the history of the Italian language from the XIV century to the present time, paying attention on the debates concerned the “questione della lingua”.

2. Being able to comment the main essays of the “questione della lingua” (both texts anthologized in books given in the exam bibliography, and texts archived in DIR), and relevant texts for describing the evolution of our literary language and common language (texts anthologized in the reference manual mentioned in the exam bibliography).

None.

Lessons, exercises, video clips and PPT.

Useful notions to teach Italian literary language and modern Italian language will be given during the lessons. Students will learn to overcome a reductive vision of the grammatical norms, replacing it with a problematic and historical approach of the rules, paying attention to regional variants, Italian dialects and contacts between Italian and other languages.

DSA/BES. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities

Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Oral exam on the book listed in the bibliography. The exam lasts 20 minutes ca. Students will be asked to answer questions structured as follows:

1. Three or four questions will verify the overall knowledge achieved in the history of the debates on the Italian language from Dante to the present time. Questions may also concern the varieties of the Italian language and dialects. Value 60% (= basic level).

2. The questions will include the comment of texts anthologized and texts archived in DIR. Value 20% (= advanced level).

3. The oral presentation and the dialectical conversation with the teacher will be assessed. Value 20%.

1. Italian language and dialects of Italy.

2. Italian varieties: “standard”, “dell’uso medio”, “regionale”, “popolare”.

3. “Alloglotti”.

4. What does “questione della lingua” mean?

5. Dante and the “De vulgari eloquentia”.

6. The XV century. The discussions on the birth of the Italian vernaculars. “Umanesimo volgare”. Leon Battista Alberti and the first grammar of the Italian language. The invention of printing. Aldo Manuzio and Pietro Bembo.

7. The XVI century. Le “Prose della volgar lingua” by Pietro Bembo.

8. The XVI century. Trissino and the discovery of the DVE. “Teoria italiana” and “teoria cortigiana”.

9. The XVI century. “Toscanisti” and “fiorentinisti”. Il “Discorso intorno alla nostra lingua” by Machiavelli. Benedetto Varchi. Lionardo Salviati.

10. The XVII century. The Accademia della Crusca and its Vocabolario. Carlo Dati. Francesco Redi. Scholars against the Vocabolario della Crusca.

11. The XVIII century. Philology and linguistic-historical researches: Fontanini, Muratori.

12. The XVIII century. Italian vs French and the defense of the Italian language.

13. The XVIII century. The Illuminism: the review “Il Caffè” in Milan and the “Saggio sulla filosofia delle lingue” by Melchiorre Cesarotti.

14. The XIX century. The Crusca veronese dictionary by Antonio Cesari. The “Proposta” by Vincenzo Monti.

15. The XIX century. The language of the new Italian State. Manzoni and the “questione della lingua”. Manzoni annotator of the Crusca veronese. Manzoni’s linguistc ideas. The two editions of the “Promessi sposi”. Manzoni’s “Relazione” del 1868. Lexicographers adhering to Manzoni’s linguistic ideas and new types of vocabulary.

16. The XIX century. “Manzoniani” and “antimanzoniani”. Tommaseo linguist and lexicographer. Ascoli and the “Proemio” in the AGI review. De Amicis “L’idioma gentile”.

17. The XX century. Linguistic effects of political unity. Linguistic policy of Fascism. The Accademia d’Italia. The “Nuove questioni linguistiche” by Pasolini.

18. The beginning of the XXI century. GRADIT Postfazione by De Mauro. Business language. **Language and Gender**. English vs Italian. “Incipit” project promoted by the Accademia della Crusca.

Basic level = 1. Good basic knowledge on the history of the Italian language from the XIV century to the present time, paying attention on the debates concerned the “questione della lingua”.
Advanced level = 2. Being able to comment the main essays of the “questione della lingua” (both texts anthologized in books given in the exam bibliography, and texts archived in DIR), and relevant texts for describing the evolution of our literary language and common language (texts anthologized in the reference manual mentioned in the exam bibliography).