LA CIVETTA May 2015 | Page 41

Italiano

uno

due

tre

quattro

cinque

sei

sette

otto

nove

dieci

Piedmontese

un

doi

tre

quatr

sinch

ses

set

eut

neuv

des

Numbers

Italiano

Lunedì

Martedì

Mercoledì

Giovedì

Venerdì

Sabato

Domenica

Piedmontese

Lùn-es

Màrt-es

Màrcol

Giòbia

Vënner

Saba

Dumìnica

English

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Days of the week

Italiano

casa

numero

lavorare

scuola

oggi

domani

ieri

Piedmontese

ca/mison

nùmer

travajé

scòla

ancheuj

dman

jer

English

home

number

to work

school

today

tomorrow

yesterday

Some phrases

many words, sounds and symbols. In order to help in this challenge, should you choose to take it on, below have been highlighted some useful tables with basic vocabulary of the dialect, which you may find useful. Knowing a bit of Piedmontese can be useful for those with a passion for the popular northern region, as a fair number of people still speak the language. Elderly people especially may use it as their first language as they did not have the opportunity to learn “standard” Italian at school. However, it is not only a matter of age or illiteracy: young and intelligent students nowadays also decide to use Piedmontese in an informal context such as with family or friends. It is part of the culture, and even if linguists cannot agree about the status of it, (it is considered in turns a local dialect, a regional language or worthy of the title of an actual language), Piedmontese speakers are proud of their unique language!

lingua

The earliest known document written in Piedmontese (Sermons Subalpini) dates from the 12th century