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Milanese (milanes, milanées, meneghin, meneghín) is a Lombard language variety spoken in the city of Milan and its surroundings.

In Italian-speaking contexts, Milanese (like most of the other non-Italian language varietes spoken within the borders of the Italian Republic) is often generically called a "dialect". This is often incorrectly understood as to mean a dialect of Italian, which actually is not the case. Milanese and Italian are different languages and are not mutually intelligible. Milanese is a particular (and prestigious) Lombard variety and is intelligible to speakers of other Lombard varieties.

Like all other dialects of Lombard, Milanese is a Western Romance language related to French, Romansh, Italian, etc.

As per today, Milanese does not have any official status either in Milan or anywhere else: the only official language in Milan is Italian.

Various dictionaries, a few grammars, extensive literature and a recent translation of the Gospels are available.

Contents

Orthography[edit]

Partly because of the unofficial status of Milanese, several different orthographic conventions have developed.

The oldest still in use, and probably the most widely used, is the convention adopted by the Milanese writer Carlo Porta. Typical of this system is the trigraph oeu for the vowels /ö/ and /ö/.

More recent conventions often try to

A lot of the alternative systems use ü and ö instead of u and oeu, in order to avoid confusion between Milanese and Italian vowels. They also generally reduce the number of accents involved, often removing ^.

A comparison with Italian[edit]

There are so many differences between Milanese and standard Italian that a comparison between the two may be deemed questionable. However, the comparison is made quite natural by the fact that speakers of Milanese are usually also speakers of Italian.

Sample texts[edit]

From the Holy Bible, Luke 2, 1-7 (for an English vesion see http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=luke+2)

You can listen to a rendition of this text as recorded by an Italian native speaker from Milan (compare to the same text in Italian).

Original orthography

Very close to the traditional orthography.

2:1 In chi dì là, on decrett de Céser Augùst l'ordinava che se fasess on censiment de tutta la terra. 2 Sto primm censiment l'è staa faa quand Quirini l'era governador de la Siria. 3 Tucc andaven a fass registrà, ciaschedun in la soa città. 4 Anca Giusepp, che l'era de la cà e de la famiglia de David, da la città de Nazareth e da la Galilea l'è andaa sù in Giudea a la città de David, ciamada Betlemm, 5 per fass registrà insèma a Maria, soa sposa, che l'era incinta. 6 Ben, pròppi intanta che se trovaven in quell sit, s'hinn compii per lee i dì de partorì. 7 L'ha mettuu al mond el sò primm, l'ha faa sù in di fass e l'ha miss giò in d'ona gruppia perchè gh'era minga de post per lor in la locanda. (Circolo Filologico Milanese, I Quatter Vangeli de Mattee, March, Luca e Gioann in dialett milanes, Milan 1995)

Alternative orthography

The same text in an alternative orthography, which could be used to render all Lombard varieties. Long vowels (both phonologically and phonetically long) are written double, word-internal consonants are never doubled (in accordance with pronunciation), and final devoicing of obstruents is rendered orthographically.

2:1 In chi dí lá, un decrètt de Céser August l urdinava che se fasèss un censiméent de tüta la tèra. 2 Stu primm censiméent l è staa faa quaant Quirini l éra guvernaduur de la Siria. 3 Tücc andaven a fass registrá, ciaschedün in la súa citá. 4 Anca Giüsèpp, che l éra de la cá e de la famíglia de Davit, da la citá de Názareth e da la Galiléa l è andaa sü in Giüdéa a la citá de Davit, ciamada Betlèmm, 5 per fass registrá insèma a María, súa spusa, che l éra incinta. 6 Bén, pròpi intanta che se truvaven in quèll siit, s'inn cumpii per lée i dí de parturí. 7 L'a mettüü al muunt el sò primm, l a faa sü in di fass e l a miss giò in d'una grüppia perchè gh'éra minga de pòst per luur in la lucanda.

See also[edit]