Language and Nationalism in Italy: Language as a Weak Marker of Identity

Abstract

Abstract Languages are among the most powerful symbols of national identity. Both historically and in the recent past, the feeling of common belonging that sustains nationalism has often been enhanced by a common language, which has, therefore, frequently been used as a means of identifying the community in question. Together with anthems, flags, oath-swearing ceremonies, and the vast array of symbols and historical myths that sustain national identity, languages are often the marker that communities utilize to differentiate insiders from outsiders (Edelman 1977). This is particularly the case where the nation and the language community largely coincide. However, in Italy, I will argue, language is a relatively weak indicator of national identity, despite the substantial coincidence of linguistic, national, and state boundaries. In order to explain this seeming anomaly, I will review the emergence of the Italian language, showing how the difficult gestation and late development of the standard language reduced its relevance as a marker of national identity. Only in recent times, with the advent of mass literacy and mass-media consumption, has a standard language become prevalent, while for substantial minorities mutually incomprehensible dialects are still the language of choice.

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