Uses and functions of dialect online in Italian-speaking Switzerland: between tradition and innovation

Document Type : Scientific research papers

Author

Osservatorio linguistico della Svizzera italiana

Abstract

After outlining the situation of languages and dialects in the context of Swiss multilingualism, this contribution focuses on the sociolinguistic situation of Italian-speaking Switzerland (the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland) and the relationship between the two traditional local codes, Italian and Dialect. Starting from the second half of the 20th century - in Italian-speaking Switzerland, as in Italy - the Dialect progressively loses its strength to the advantage of Italian, both in terms of the number of speakers and in terms of social prestige. On the other hand, in recent years, there have been signs of Dialect re-emerging in non-traditional context of use for this language, especially on the Web and in computer-mediated communication (CMC). The phenomenon brings with it a redefinition of the relationship between Italian and dialect and the position of the latter in the community repertoire.

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