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Tarantino dialect
Tarantino dialect
Tarantino dialect
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Tarantino
tarandíne
Native toItaly
RegionApulia
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
GlottologNone
Tarantino is spoken in the city of Taranto in southeastern Italy

Tarantino (/ˌtærənˈtiːnoʊ/; Tarantino: dialètte tarandíne [taranˈdiːnə]; Italian: dialetto tarantino, pronounced [taranˈtiːno]), spoken in the southeastern Italian region of Apulia, is a transitional language, most of whose speakers live in the Apulian city of Taranto. The dialect is also spoken by a few Italian immigrants in the United States, especially in California.

History

[edit]
Communication using dialect in Taranto.

The Tarantino dialect traces its origins into ancient times, when the territory was dominated by the Messapii.

The colonisation by the Greeks founded Taranto not only as the capital of Magna Graecia but as a centre of poetry and theatre.[citation needed] The Greeks had left considerable influence on Tarantino, both in vocabulary and morpho-syntax, and a very peculiar accent that scholars corresponded to Doric.[citation needed] These influences are still found in many Tarantino words of Greek origin.[a]

Subsequently, the city of Taranto became a Roman city, thus introducing much Vulgar Latin vocabulary.[b]

During the Byzantine and Lombard periods, Tarantino acquired diphthongization: the short o changed to ue and the short e changed to ie; moreover, its vocabulary was further enriched with new words.[c]

With the arrival of the Normans in 1071 and the Angevins all the way through to 1400, the dialect lost much of its Eastern influences and was influenced by the French and Gallo-Italic elements.[d] In 1502, the city went under Catalan-Aragonese rule.

In 1801 the city was once again under the dominion of French troops, who left their mark with their Franco-Provençal language.

Taranto has long been linked to the Kingdom of Naples, which would explain some words in common with the Neapolitan dialect.

Samples

[edit]

The Tarantino versions are compared to the Italian ones.

'U 'Mbierne de Dande (Claudio De Cuia)[1]

'Mmienze ô camíne nuèstre de 'sta víte
ij' me scè 'cchiève jndr'a 'nu vòsch'uscúre
ca 'a drètta vije addáne havè' sparíte.

Ma ci l'à ddà cundáre le delúre
de 'stu vosche sarvagge e 'a strada stòrte
ca jndr'o penzière me crèsce 'a pavúre.

Ma è tand'amáre ch'è pêsce d'a morte;
ma pe' ccundáre 'u bbéne ca truvéve,
hagghia parlà' de quèdda mala sòrte.

Ije mo' nò ssacce accum'è ca m'acchiève,
tand'assunnáte stáve a qquèdda vanne
ca 'a vije veràce te scè' 'bbandunéve.

Doppe ch'havè' 'rreváte tremelànne
già 'ngocchie a lle fenéte de 'sta chiàne,
ch'angòre ô côre dè' mattáne e affanne,

vedíve 'u cièle tutte a mmane-a-mmane
ca s'ammandáve d'a luce d'u sole
ca 'nzignalèsce 'a strate a ogne crestiáne...

Inferno – Canto I (Dante Alighieri)

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
ché la diritta via era smarrita.

Ahi quanto a dir qual era è cosa dura
esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte
che nel pensier rinova la paura!

Tant' è amara che poco è più morte;
ma per trattar del ben ch'i' vi trovai,
dirò de l'altre cose ch'i' v'ho scorte.

Io non so ben ridir com' i' v'intrai,
tant' era pien di sonno a quel punto
che la verace via abbandonai.

Ma poi ch'i' fui al piè d'un colle giunto,
là dove terminava quella valle
che m'avea di paura il cor compunto,

guardai in alto e vidi le sue spalle
vestite già de' raggi del pianeta
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle...

'U 'càndeche de le crijatúre de San Frangísche (Enrico Vetrò)

Altísseme, 'Neputènde, Signóre bbuéne,
Túje so' le làude, 'a glorie e ll’anóre e ogne bbenedizzióne.

A Tté súle, Altísseme, Te tòcchene,
e nnisciún’óme éte dègne de Te menduváre.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, appríss’a ttutte le crijatúre Tóve,
spéče frátema mije mèstre sóle,
ca jé llúče d’u ggiúrne, e nn’allumenìsce a nnúje cu jidde.

E jìdd’é' bbèlle e allucèsce cu sblennóre granne,
de Téje, Altísseme, annùče 'u valóre.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, pe' ssòrem’a lúne e lle stèdde:
'ngíele l’hé crijáte lucénde, sobraffíne e vvalènde, e bbèdde.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, pe' ffráteme 'u víende,
e ppe' ll’àrie, le nùvele, 'u chiaríme e ogne ttìjembe,
ca cu chìdde a lle crijatúre Tóve le fáče refiatà.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, pe' ssòreme l’acque,
ca jé ùtele asséje, terragnóle, prizziósa e cchiáre.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, pe' ffráteme 'u fuéche,
ca cu jìdde allumenìsce 'a nòtte:
e jidd’è' bbèlle, allègre, pastecchíne e ffòrte.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, p’a sóra nòstra màtra tèrre,
ca ne mandéne e nn’ènghie 'a vèndre,
e ccàcce numúnne de frùtte e ppúre fiúre d’ogne cculóre e ll’èrve.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, pe' cchidde ca perdònene p’amóre Túve
E ssuppòrtene malatíje e ttrìbbule.

Vijáte a cchìdde ca l’honna ssuppurtà cu rrassignazzióne,
ca da Téje, Altísseme, honn’essere 'ngurunáte.

Lavudáte sije, Signóre mije, p’a sóra nostra morta d’u cuèrpe
ca da jèdde nisciún’ome ca refiáte po' scambáre:
uàje a cchìdde c’honna murè jind’a' le puccáte murtále;
vijáte a cchìdde ca jedde à dda truvà jind’a' Vulundà' Ttója Sandísseme,
ca a llóre 'a secònna mòrte no 'nge l’à ddà ffa' mále.

Lavudáte e bbenedecíte 'u Signóre mij' e dečíteLe gràzzie
E sservíteLe cu grànna devuzzióne.

Canticle of the Sun (Francis of Assisi)

Altissimu, onnipotente bon Signore,
Tue so' le laude, la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione.

Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te mentovare.

Laudato sie, mi' Signore cum tucte le Tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate Sole,
lo qual è iorno, et allumeni noi per lui.

Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:
de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stelle:
in celu l'ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.

Laudato si', mi' Signore, per frate Vento
et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale, a le Tue creature dài sustentamento.

Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sor Aqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per frate Focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte:
ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.

Laudato si', mi' Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa,
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti flori et herba.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per quelli che perdonano per lo Tuo amore
et sostengono infirmitate et tribulatione.

Beati quelli ke 'l sosterranno in pace,
ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.

Laudato si' mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente po' skappare:
guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trovarà ne le Tue sanctissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda no 'l farrà male.

Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate
e serviateli cum grande humilitate..

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Tarantino dialect

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Tarantino dialect, locally known as 'u tarandíne or dialètte tarandíne, is a Romance municipal idiom spoken primarily within the city limits of in the southeastern Italian region of , extending to variants in the northern part of Taranto province, such as Massafra and Crispiano. It features a distinctive Greek-influenced accent with a Doric , vocabulary rooted in Roman vernacular, and phonetic innovations including the diphthongization of mid vowels (o to ue and e to ie), alongside syntactic traits like verbal circumlocutions using scére plus the and the progressive of atonic -i-. The dialect's lexicon and structure bear traces of Apulia's layered history under successive dominations, incorporating elements from (both lexical and morpho-syntactic), Roman, Byzantine, Lombard, Norman, Angevin (introducing French and Gallo-Italic influences), ( borrowings), Aragonese (Spanish terms), and even Provençal French from the early 19th century, though many Oriental and archaic features have diminished over time. Distinct from neighboring Barese to the north and Salentino to the south, it remains a vibrant marker of local identity, used in everyday conversation, , and cultural expressions within 's approximately 180,000 residents. Historically confined to oral traditions of popular poetry, proverbs, and folk narratives, the Tarantino dialect gained literary prominence in the late through the works of Emilio Consiglio (1841–1905), a Taranto-born priest and writer who pioneered its use in published verse starting around 1892. Consiglio's contributions, serialized in the local newspaper La Voce del Popolo until 1905, blended earthy humor, social critique, and natural metaphors—drawing inspiration from Italian poets like and Francesco Petrarca—while incorporating dialect-specific idioms and references to local customs like the Pascalì festival. His poem A lenga tarantine (1902), later collected in Raccolta di poesie italiane e tarantine (1907), underscored the dialect's expressive potential, establishing a foundation for subsequent Tarantino literature that continues to explore themes of regional life and identity.

Classification and distribution

Linguistic affiliation

The Tarantino dialect belongs to the Southern Italo-Romance branch of the , specifically classified as an upper southern variety within the Neapolitan group, while incorporating influences from the extreme southern dialects such as Salentino due to its geographic position. As a member of the Pugliese subgroup, it exhibits a transitional character, sharing grammatical features like binary systems and vocabulary elements with northern Salentino dialects, yet maintaining phonological traits more aligned with Neapolitan varieties. Unlike standardized languages, the Tarantino dialect does not have an assigned code, reflecting its status as a local dialectal variety rather than an independent . Similarly, provides no dedicated code for it, subsuming it under the broader Continental Southern Italian languoid, which encompasses Neapolitan and related Apulian forms. In relation to standard Italian, the Tarantino dialect is treated as a regional rather than a separate , with between the two varying significantly based on individual exposure to standard Italian through , media, and urban migration. This continuum often results in among speakers in and nearby areas, where the dialect serves as a marker of local identity alongside Italian.

Geographic extent

The Tarantino dialect is primarily spoken in the city of and the northern portion of the , situated in the region of southeastern . This area encompasses urban and rural communities where the dialect serves as a marker of local identity, particularly in informal settings such as family conversations and traditional events. As a transitional variety within the broader Apulian dialects, it bridges northern and southern linguistic influences in the region. The primary speaker base is concentrated in , which has an estimated population of 185,909 as of 2025, though not all residents are fluent in the . Usage is most prevalent among older generations, with a notable decline among younger speakers due to the pervasive influence of standard Italian in schools, media, and professional environments. Additional speakers are present in adjacent municipalities like Massafra and Crispiano, extending the dialect's reach across parts of the northern province, which has a total population of approximately 550,000. Overall, the Tarantino dialect holds an endangered status, with fewer than 1 million speakers across its varieties and limited organized revitalization initiatives amid the broader shift toward standard Italian. Efforts to document and promote it remain sporadic, focused mainly on local cultural associations rather than widespread institutional support.

Historical development

Pre-Roman and ancient influences

The Tarantino dialect traces its deepest roots to the pre-Roman indigenous populations of the region surrounding ancient Taranto, known as Tarentum in Latin. The area was primarily inhabited by the Messapii, an ancient tribe that spoke Messapic, an Indo-European language related to the extinct Illyrian tongues spoken across the Adriatic. Messapic, attested in approximately 600 inscriptions from the 6th to 1st century BCE, served as a non-Italic substrate in southeastern Italy, including the Salentine Peninsula and Apulia, where Taranto is located. This language, written in an alphabet derived from Western Greek models, left traces in local toponymy, such as the regional name Messapia meaning "land between the seas," which persists in modern place names and reflects the Messapii's cultural presence before Roman dominance. Greek colonization profoundly shaped the linguistic landscape of beginning in the BCE, when Spartan settlers founded the city as Taras, establishing it as a key polis in . This Hellenic foundation introduced elements, influencing vocabulary, morpho-syntax, and word formation in the emerging local speech patterns. For instance, Greek loanwords entered the basic lexicon of subsequent Romance varieties in the region, with numerous terms related to daily life, trade, and administration retained in Apulian dialects like Tarantino; examples include borrowings in areas such as maritime and agricultural terminology, reflecting Taras's prosperity as a naval power in the BCE. These influences persisted as a substrate, embedding Hellenic structures into the speech of the area even after the city's peak under leaders like . Roman integration from the 3rd century BCE onward marked a pivotal shift, as Taranto submitted to Roman control in 272 BCE following the Pyrrhic Wars, transitioning from an independent Greek colony to a Roman municipium named Tarentum. This period saw the imposition of Vulgar Latin, the colloquial form spoken by Roman soldiers, administrators, and settlers, which gradually supplanted indigenous and Greek varieties among the populace. As Tarentum gained formal city status within the , Vulgar Latin laid the foundational Romance framework for the Tarantino dialect, incorporating substrate remnants from Messapic and Greek in place names (e.g., Taranto deriving from Taras) and select lexical items, while establishing the core grammatical and phonological base that evolved into modern Italo-Romance forms. During the Second Punic War, the city's temporary fall to in 212 BCE and subsequent Roman recapture in 209 BCE further entrenched Latin administrative and military terminology in local usage.

Medieval and modern evolution

Following the fall of the , came under Byzantine control in the 6th century, remaining part of the until the 11th century. During this period, the Tarantino dialect preserved ancient substrate elements, as Greek continued to influence religious, administrative, and cultural practices in the region, contributing to the retention of Hellenic lexical and phonological features amid Lombard incursions. Phonological developments, such as the diphthongization of short o to ue and short e to ie, emerged during the Byzantine and early Lombard phases, reflecting ongoing substrate preservation under Eastern Roman administration. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, raids and the nearby (847–871) introduced Arabic borrowings into the local vernacular, particularly in domains such as , , and . The of in 1063 marked a pivotal shift, integrating the city into the Norman County of and later the Kingdom of (from 1130), which evolved into the Kingdom of . This era introduced loanwords from Norman French and Lombard, particularly in domains like administration, military, and feudal organization, solidifying the dialect's alignment with broader southern Italo-Romance varieties. Examples include terms related to and daily trades, drawn from roots, as Norman rulers imposed their linguistic imprint on local vernaculars. Under Angevin rule from 1266 to 1442 (with lost after the revolt of 1282), French lexical borrowings intensified, with terms for nobility, architecture, and courtly life entering the dialect. The subsequent Aragonese period (1442 onward) added Catalan influences through and , incorporating words related to and maritime activities, further layering the dialect's Romance evolution while maintaining its southern Italo-Dalmatian profile. In the , the brief French occupation of and (1806–1815) reinforced Gallic elements, though many such terms had earlier medieval precedents; these continued in usage in everyday commerce. Italian unification in 1861 accelerated the dialect's decline, as mandatory schooling, national media, and administrative promoted Tuscan-based Italian, reducing Tarantino's intergenerational transmission—by the late , only a small of younger speakers used it predominantly. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the dialect forms part of the Neapolitan-Sicilian continuum, with minor revitalization efforts through local theater, music, and in , helping sustain its cultural role despite ongoing pressures from standard Italian.

Phonological features

Vowel system

The Tarantino dialect exhibits a seven-vowel system in stressed syllables, comprising the phonemes /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /ɛ/, and /ɔ/, which aligns with the typical inventory observed in many Apulian varieties. In unstressed positions, these vowels frequently reduce, often centralizing to a schwa-like [ə] or undergoing further weakening, contributing to the dialect's rhythmic structure and potential deletion in post-tonic contexts. A prominent feature is diphthongization affecting stressed short mid vowels, where /o/ raises and glides to /ue/ and /e/ to /ie/, as seen in forms like muèrte (from Latin mortuus, 'dead') and fògghie (from Latin folia, 'leaves'). This process, common in Southern Italo-Romance dialects, results in ascending diphthongs that distinguish the Tarantino inventory from Standard Italian's monophthongal realizations and is a feature inherited from Vulgar Latin developments in open syllables. Stress in the Tarantino dialect predominantly falls on the penultimate , a pattern shared with Standard Italian, where shifts in quality—such as opening or closing—often serve morphological functions, like indicating or number agreement. realizations can also interact briefly with adjacent consonants, as in assimilatory effects before nasals that enhance in certain contexts.

Consonant system

The consonant inventory of the Tarantino dialect comprises 21 phonemes: the stops /p, b, t, d, k, g/; the fricatives /f, v, s, z, /; the affricates /ts, dz, , /; the nasals /m, n, /; the lateral /l/; the rhotic /r/; and the /j/. This system aligns with broader Southern Italo-Romance patterns, where fortis-lenis contrasts are maintained among obstruents, and palatal nasals and affricates arise from historical palatalization processes. Gemination is a phonemic feature, with double consonants contrasting in meaning, as in /pappa/ 'daddy' versus /pàpa/ 'pope'—a hallmark of Southern Italian dialects inherited from Latin quantity distinctions. These geminates are realized as prolonged articulations, affecting stops, fricatives, and affricates, and contributing to the rhythmic structure of the language. Palatalization is prominent, particularly in the assimilation of /n/ to /ɲ/ before front vowels like /i/, yielding forms such as /ɲi/ from underlying "ni." Affricates /ts/ and /dz/ typically stem from Latin sequences like -ti- and -di- before vowels, preserving these developments in word-medial positions. Distinctive pronunciation traits include the voicing of /s/ to /z/ in intervocalic contexts, a process more consistent than in Neapolitan varieties where aspiration may intervene; the rhotic /r/ is articulated as a trill, often multiple and vibrant. Additionally, the retention of /ʃ/ in certain lexical items reflects enduring Greek substrate influences from ancient settlements in the region.

Grammatical structure

Morphology

The morphology of the Tarantino dialect, a variety of Central-Southern Italo-Romance spoken in Taranto, Italy, exhibits features typical of Southern Italian dialects while showing transitional traits between Neapolitan and Salentino varieties. Nouns distinguish two genders—masculine and feminine—and two numbers—singular and plural—with endings largely following Romance patterns: masculine singular nouns often end in -o (e.g., neccio 'eye'), shifting to -i or vowel alternation in the plural (e.g., occhi), while feminine singular nouns end in -a (e.g., jatta 'cat'), typically forming plurals with -e or -i (e.g., jatte). Plural marking can involve suffixation with -ə or metaphonic vowel raising in stressed syllables, as seen in Apulian dialects including Taranto, where forms like patånə 'potato' remain unchanged or use alternations for number distinction. Definite articles agree in gender and number: masculine singular u (before consonants) or elided 'u (before vowels), lo or il in specific phonetic contexts (e.g., il dippiù 'the more'); feminine singular a or la (e.g., la piseatrice 'the fishwife'); plural li or le for both genders (e.g., li chiddi 'those eyes'). Indefinite articles are nu (masculine singular, e.g., nu vove 'a bull') and na (feminine singular, e.g., na jatta 'a cat'), with elision to n' before vowels (e.g., n'aco 'an act'). These forms reflect elision and assimilation common in Southern dialects, with u and a deriving from Latin unum and illam. Verbs are conjugated in three classes similar to Italian: first-conjugation in -are (e.g., infinitive lassare 'to leave'), second in -ere (e.g., cbiàngere 'to cry'), and third in -ire, often assimilated to -ere patterns (e.g., vinère 'to come'). Tenses include present (e.g., agghio 'I have' from avere), (e.g., avivi 'you had'), and past participles (e.g., piovuto 'rained'); the is expressed periphrastically (e.g., agghio da fa ' do'). draw from Neapolitan-Sicilian traditions, with avére (forms like agghio, avimi 'we have') for transitive perfect tenses and essere (e.g., so 'I am', simi 'we are') for intransitive or motion verbs, showing split intransitivity where unaccusatives select essere. Some irregular verbs retain traceable to Greek substrates, such as in forms influenced by ancient settlements. Adjectives agree with nouns in and number, typically following the noun (e.g., a màchene méje 'my car', with méje feminine singular agreeing with màchene). Masculine singular forms often end in -o (e.g., friddò 'cold'), shifting to -u or -i in plural; feminine singular uses -a (e.g., siodica from siodico 'systematic'), with plural -e. Superlatives employ the piò 'more' (e.g., piò bello 'most beautiful'), a comparative structure inherited from . Possessives also inflect, as in meo (masculine singular 'my') versus mea (feminine singular). Pronouns include clitic forms that frequently procliticize or encliticize to verbs, as in mi V avivi ditto ('you had told me it', with mi 'me' and elided object). Personal pronouns feature subject forms like io 'I', tu 'you (sg.)', nu or nui 'we'; tonic and atonic variants exist (e.g., me 'me', te 'you'). Demonstratives are quist or questa 'this' (singular), chisti 'these' (plural), and quid or quedda 'that'; possessives like mio/tuo inflect similarly to adjectives and may show Salentino influences in placement after the noun (e.g., casa tuje 'your house'). The dialect's Greek substrate contributes to morpho-syntactic patterns.

Syntax

The syntax of the Tarantino dialect, as a variety of the Upper Southern Apulian group, adheres to a predominantly Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order in declarative sentences, similar to Standard Italian but with greater flexibility for pragmatic emphasis, allowing permutations such as Object-Verb-Subject (OVS) or Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) to mark information or contrastive focus. This flexibility is discourse-driven, with postverbal subjects common in intransitive constructions to encode locative or temporal arguments, as seen in examples like "Jì ddò stògg’ a mərì" (I am starving here). Adjectives are typically postposed to the noun they modify, following the noun-adjective concord pattern standard in , e.g., "casa vecchia" (old house), though a limited set of evaluative adjectives may appear prenominally for intensification. Subject-verb agreement is strict and morphologically rich, enabling pro-drop (null subjects) where and number are inferred from verbal inflections, as in "Mangio la mela" (I eat/am eating the apple). Noun-adjective agreement mirrors this, requiring full gender and number concord, e.g., "bbóna fèmmənə" (good woman). doubling is a prominent feature, particularly for accusative objects, where a pronominal precedes the verb and the full follows, often marked by the preposition "a" for emphasis or , as in "Lo vedo a lu" (I see him/it, with "lo" doubling the object "lu"). This construction aligns with broader Southern Italo-Romance patterns, enhancing referential specificity. A distinctive syntactic trait is the use of verbal circumlocutions with scére (from Latin exire 'to go out') plus the to express progressive or ongoing actions, as in constructions equivalent to "I'm going to do" for , reflecting historical innovations. employs a preverbal particle "non" (or variants like "nun"), frequently combined with postverbal negative quantifiers in structures to reinforce , a hallmark of Southern dialects; for instance, "Non veggio nient'" (I see ) uses "non" and "nient'" () together without canceling the negative meaning. Questions are primarily formed through intonation rises in yes/no interrogatives, such as rising pitch on "St’ a ppàrlə?" (Are you talking?), or by fronting wh-words like "chie?" (what?) without additional morphological changes, e.g., "Chie hai ditto?" (What did you say?). Subordinate clauses, including relatives, rely on the "ca" (that/which), influenced by neighboring Neapolitan varieties, as in "U ombe ca veggio" (The man that I see), where "ca" introduces the without case marking distinctions.

Lexicon

Etymological sources

The lexicon of the Tarantino dialect draws predominantly from , which serves as the foundation for the majority of its Romance vocabulary, overlaid with a substrate from the pre-Roman spoken by the indigenous Messapii in the region. This Latin base evolved through the of the area, incorporating elements from everyday spoken Latin that differentiated it from classical forms, with potential Messapic influences appearing primarily in select toponyms related to local geography. Greek elements, stemming from the ancient of Taras founded in the BCE as part of , are present in the core lexicon, particularly in domains like maritime activities and commerce, reflecting Taranto's role as a major Spartan outpost and trading hub. Terms for seafaring and trade goods often preserve roots, adapted through centuries of bilingualism in the region. For example, celóne (tortoise) and ceráse (cherries) derive from Greek origins. Germanic loanwords entered the dialect via Lombard and Norman invasions starting in the 6th and 11th centuries, respectively, contributing vocabulary for tools, weapons, and feudal administration, with influences persisting in rural and military terminology. Examples include schife (, a small ). French and Catalan terms, introduced during the Angevin rule (13th-14th centuries) with French influences and subsequent Aragonese dominance (14th-15th centuries) with Catalan elements, enriched administrative, legal, and trade lexicons, often through official documents and courtly interactions. Examples of French-derived terms include fesciùdde ( or ) and accattáre (to buy). The source supports Aragonese-Catalan impacts on dialect. Minor influences from and Byzantine Greek arise from medieval raids and the Eastern Roman Empire's lingering presence, primarily affecting agricultural techniques and nautical terms. Examples from Latin roots include díleche (skinny). The dialect's composition reflects these historical layers, predominantly Romance-derived with significant Greek and later European contributions, as analyzed in etymological studies of the .

Characteristic vocabulary

The characteristic vocabulary of the Tarantino dialect encompasses a range of everyday terms that capture local color and historical depth, often differing markedly from standard Italian equivalents. Notable examples include celóne (), ceráse (cherry, typically in plural form), and díleche (skinny), which are used in routine to denote common objects and physical attributes. These terms, drawn from 19th-century lexical records, demonstrate the dialect's practical for daily life. Borrowings and dialect-specific innovations further enrich the vocabulary, incorporating elements from regional and external languages. Terms like schife (skiff, a small boat), fesciùdde (fichu or ), and accattáre (to buy) reflect influences from Lombard and French, while uòm (man) and bielle (beautiful) showcase internal evolutions, such as diphthongization in the former. Scurdà (to forget) serves as another illustrative verb, highlighting phonetic shifts unique to the dialect. All these are attested in historical dictionaries pairing dialect words with their Italian counterparts. Common phrases in the Tarantino dialect frequently rely on clitics and contractions for brevity and expressiveness, as in ché fài? (What are you doing?), which condenses the standard Italian che fai? while maintaining interrogative force. Such constructions appear in spoken interactions and local expressions. To illustrate divergences, the following table compares selected Tarantino terms with standard Italian and English glosses:
TarantinoStandard ItalianEnglish Gloss
celónetartaruga
ceráseciliegiacherry
dílechemagroskinny
schifebarca piccola
fesciùddefazzoletto/
accattárecomprareto buy
uòmuomoman
biellebellobeautiful
scurdàdimenticareto forget

Usage and examples

Literary and cultural role

The Tarantino dialect has played a notable role in local literature, particularly through poetry and theater, where it serves as a vehicle for expressing regional identity and everyday experiences. Modern and contemporary Tarantine poetry emerged in the 20th century, evolving from earlier vernacular traditions to flourish in cultural circles, magazines, and events that highlight themes of local life and heritage. Key works include collections like Acque de fundàne by Antonio Gentile, which captures the dialect's rhythmic qualities in verses evoking Taranto's coastal and social landscapes. In theater, the dialect has been integral since the 1930s, with popular plays drawing on ethnographic elements to depict customs and community issues, fostering a sense of autochthonous culture despite initial distances from folk roots. Adaptations such as Claudio De Cuia's scrupulous translation of Dante's Inferno into Tarantino, titled U Mbièrne, exemplify efforts to reinterpret classical Italian literature through the dialect's phonetic and expressive lens. In media, the dialect appears in digital content and folk music, aiding its dissemination beyond traditional settings. YouTube channels feature language lessons and recitations that teach Tarantino through conversational examples, making it accessible for learners interested in its unique phonology and idioms. Folk songs, such as those by groups like Armonie dei Due Mari in tracks like "Tarde Ta'," preserve oral melodies tied to Taranto's seafaring rhythms, blending with Puglia's broader tarantella traditions. It plays a minor role in Apulian films and TV, often in dubbed parodies or local productions that humorously highlight dialectal speech patterns, as seen in community-driven content reimagining popular movies. The dialect symbolizes 's cultural identity, intertwining with the city's maritime heritage—rooted in foundations and naval prominence. Festivals like the annual Giornata Nazionale del Dialetto e delle Lingue Locali in Taranto feature readings of poetry and stories, preserving oral traditions through public performances that celebrate the dialect's role in communal memory. Revitalization efforts leverage digital tools amid challenges from Standard Italian's dominance, which has marginalized dialects in education and media, leading to declining fluency among younger speakers. Online resources include AI-powered translators like the free Tarantino Translator, which converts text into dialect forms to engage users creatively and promote awareness of its historical layers. Informal courses on platforms like offer conversational lessons, covering idioms and customs to encourage intergenerational transmission.

Sample texts

One representative sample of Tarantino dialect in is an excerpt from Claudio De Cuia's 1976 translation of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, Canto I, titled 'U 'Mbiérne de Dande, published by Editrice Tarentum in . This adaptation renders the opening lines in Tarantino vernacular, preserving the poetic structure while incorporating dialectal features such as (e.g., shortening of words like nuèstre to nuèstre) and characteristic (e.g., vòsch' for "forest," evoking local rustic imagery). The original Italian and an English gloss are provided below for comparison: Tarantino:
'Mmienze ô camíne nuèstre de 'sta víte
ij' me scè 'cchiève jndr'a 'nu vòsch'uscúre
ca 'a drètta vije addáne havè' sparíte.
Ma ci l'à ddà cundáre le delúre
de 'stu vosche sarvagge e 'a strada stòrte
ca jndr'o penzière me crèsce 'a pavúre. Original Italian:
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura
ché la diritta via era smarrita.
Ahi quanto a dir qual era è cosa dura
esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte
che nel pensier rinova la paura! English gloss:
Midway on the journey of our life
I found myself in a
for the straight path had been lost.
But to recount the delights
of this savage and the twisted
which in thought renews my . Annotations highlight key phonological traits, such as the diphthong in uscúre (/usˈku.rə/, reflecting a closed common in southern Italian dialects for emphasis on obscurity) and vocabulary like vòsch' (from Latin saltus, adapted to denote , untamed land, tying to Puglia's agrarian cultural nuances of isolation and peril). Morphologically, verb conjugations show first-person in scè 'cchiève (from ritrovai, with 'cchiève for reflexive "found myself," illustrating Tarantino's proclitic positioning before the for rhythmic flow). A second sample draws from traditional religious texts adapted into Tarantino, exemplified by the Padre Nostro (), which demonstrates syntax through periphrastic constructions and attachments typical of the dialect's conservative Romance structure. This version reflects oral transmission in Taranto's Catholic communities, with features like (doubled consonants for stress) and . The full short text is given below, alongside the standard Italian and English gloss: Tarantino:
Táte nuéstre, ca stéje jindr’a le cíjele,
cu ssije sandefecáte ’u nóme túve;
cu avéne ’u règne túve;
cu ssija fatte ’a vulundá’ ttóve,
a ccume ’Ngíjele accussíne ’nDèrre.
Dànne ósce a nnúje ’u páne nuèstre e pp’ogne ggiúrne,
e llívene a nnúje le díebbete nuèstre
a ccúme nú’ le levâme a lle debbetúre nuèstre,
e nnò ffá’ ca n’abbandúne a’ ’ndendazzióne,
ma lìbberene d’ô mále. Amen. Standard Italian:
Padre nostro, che sei nei cieli,
sia santificato il tuo nome;
venga il tuo regno;
sia fatta la tua volontà,
come in cielo così in terra.
Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano,
e rimetti a noi i nostri debiti
come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori,
e non ci indurre in tentazione,
ma liberaci dal male. . English gloss:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. . Annotations note syntactic elements like the clitic ’u in ’u nóme túve (possessive "your name," where the clitic precedes the noun for idiomatic brevity, a hallmark of Tarantino's enclitic avoidance in prayers for liturgical cadence). Phonologically, /ttóve/ for "your" shows aspiration in geminates (/tː/), and morphology includes subjunctive ssija (from sia, conjugated for third-person singular to express wish, aligning with the dialect's retention of Latin subjunctives). Culturally, this adaptation underscores Taranto's devotional traditions, where such prayers reinforce communal identity during festivals. For pronunciation resources, audio examples of Tarantino dialect, including recitations of literary adaptations like De Cuia's Inferno, are available on YouTube channels dedicated to regional linguistics, such as the video "La Divina Commedia in dialetto Tarantino - Inferno Canto 1," which demonstrates natural intonation and vowel reductions. A modern sample appears in contemporary self-introductions, often used in educational or social contexts to preserve the dialect amid Italian standardization. For instance: Tarantino: Cià 'mbà! Iì sonde Ndònie. Sò nu uagnòne tagliáne e iàvete a Ttàrede. Italian: Ciao amico! Io sono . Sono un ragazzo italiano e abito a . English gloss: Hi friend! I am . I am an Italian boy and I live in . This phrase exemplifies everyday syntax with proclitics (Iì sonde for "I am," using sonde as a dialectal variant of sono for emphatic presence) and vocabulary like uagnòne (diminutive for "boy," reflecting affectionate local nuances in family-oriented Puglia culture).

References

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