Emiliàn
Emilian
Indo-European
Emilian (Emiliàn) is a Gallo-Italic Romance language of the Emilia sub-region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, distinct from neighboring Romagnol (rgn — Romagna sub-region) and from sister Gallo-Italic languages Lombard, Piedmontese, Ligurian, and Venetian. Spoken by ~2M people in the cities of Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, and Piacenza, Emilian shows strong urban-vs-rural variation and significant Po Valley substrate. Linguistically, Emilian shares Gallo-Italic features (vowel reduction, palatalization, loss of word-final vowels) but has distinctive Bologna-area vocalic system. The Bolognese variety is the most widely-documented and culturally salient (e.g., Pier Vittorio Tondelli's prose, Renato Zero's songs).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Emilian
Water
âcua
/ˈakwa/
Fire
fôg
/ˈfoɡ/
Sun
sôl
/ˈsoːl/
Moon
lónna
/ˈlonːa/
Mother
mèder
/ˈmɛdɛɾ/
Father
pèder
/ˈpɛdɛɾ/
Eat
magnèr
/maˈɲɛɾ/
Drink
bevvre
/ˈbevːɾe/
Love
amôr
/aˈmoːɾ/
Heart
côr
/ˈkoːɾ/
Tree
arbal
/ˈaɾbal/
House
cà
/ˈka/
Dog
can
/ˈkan/
Cat
gât
/ˈɡat/
Hand
mân
/ˈman/
Eye
ucc
/ˈutʃ/
Hello
cciô
/ˈtʃoː/
Thank you
gràzie
/ˈɡɾaːtsje/
One
un
/ˈun/
Good
bón
/ˈbon/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European languages
| Meaning | Emilian | Romagnol | Italian | Golden Age Spanish (Siglo de Oro) | Spanish (Europe) | Old Spanish | Chavacano |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | âcua /ˈakwa/ | acua /ˈakwa/ | acqua /ˈakkwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɡwa/ |
| Fire | fôg /ˈfoɡ/ | fugh /ˈfuɡ/ | fuoco /ˈfwɔːko/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɡo/ |
| Sun | sôl /ˈsoːl/ | sòl /ˈsɔl/ | sole /ˈsoːle/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | lónna /ˈlonːa/ | lónna /ˈlonːa/ | luna /ˈluːna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ |
| Mother | mèder /ˈmɛdɛɾ/ | mêdar /ˈmeːdaɾ/ | madre /ˈmaːdre/ | madre /ˈmadɾe/ | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | madre /ˈmaðre/ | nana /ˈnana/ |
| Father | pèder /ˈpɛdɛɾ/ | pêdar /ˈpeːdaɾ/ | padre /ˈpaːdre/ | padre /ˈpadɾe/ | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | padre /ˈpaðre/ | tata /ˈtata/ |
| Eat | magnèr /maˈɲɛɾ/ | mâgna /ˈmaɲa/ | mangiare /manˈd͡ʒaːre/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | come /koˈme/ |
| Drink | bevvre /ˈbevːɾe/ | bér /ˈbeɾ/ | bere /ˈbeːre/ | beuer /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | bever /beˈveɾ/ | bebe /beˈbe/ |
| Love | amôr /aˈmoːɾ/ | amour /aˈmouɾ/ | amore /aˈmoːre/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | ama /ˈama/ |
| Heart | côr /ˈkoːɾ/ | côr /ˈkoːɾ/ | cuore /ˈkwɔːre/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ | corazón /koraˈson/ |
| Tree | arbal /ˈaɾbal/ | arbal /ˈaɾbal/ | albero /ˈalbero/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbor /ˈaɾβoɾ/ | árbol /ˈaɾbol/ |
| House | cà /ˈka/ | ca /ˈka/ | casa /ˈkaːsa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkasa/ |
| Dog | can /ˈkan/ | can /ˈkan/ | cane /ˈkaːne/ | perro /ˈpero/ | perro /ˈpero/ | can /kan/ | perro /ˈpeɾo/ |
| Cat | gât /ˈɡat/ | gâta /ˈɡaːta/ | gatto /ˈɡatto/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ |
| Hand | mân /ˈman/ | mân /ˈmaːn/ | mano /ˈmaːno/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ |
| Eye | ucc /ˈutʃ/ | ucc /ˈutʃ/ | occhio /ˈɔkkjo/ | ojo /ˈoʃo/ | ojo /ˈoxo/ | ojo /ˈoʒo/ | ojo /ˈoho/ |
| Hello | cciô /ˈtʃoː/ | ciô /ˈtʃoː/ | ciao /ˈt͡ʃaːo/ | Dios os guarde /djos os ˈɡwaɾde/ | hola /ˈola/ | salud /saˈlud/ | buenas /ˈbwenas/ |
| Thank you | gràzie /ˈɡɾaːtsje/ | gras /ˈɡɾas/ | grazie /ˈɡratt͡sje/ | gracias /ˈɡɾat͡sjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | mercedes /meɾˈt͡seðes/ | gracias /ˈɡɾasjas/ |
| One | un /ˈun/ | ón /ˈon/ | uno /ˈuːno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ |
| Good | bón /ˈbon/ | bón /ˈbon/ | buono /ˈbwɔːno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bono /ˈbono/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ |
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