Origine della lingua italiana: dissertazione

This work opens with a meticulous editor’s note that explains the careful restoration of the original text, from correcting typographical slips to gathering all scholarly annotations in a single appendix. The author then declares his intent to question the very title “Origin of the Italian Language,” arguing that such a label can mislead and that a more precise focus is needed. From the outset, he sets the stage for a wide‑ranging inquiry, inviting listeners to follow his reasoning about what truly counts as “Italian” in both spoken and written forms.

The dissertation proceeds to map the complex family of Romance languages, touching on the Ladin, Franco‑Provençal, and the special case of Romanian, while also examining how indigenous tongues and “barbaric” influences interacted with Latin. Early chapters explore the distinction between spoken and literary Latin, the role of popular versus learned vocabulary, and the earliest vernacular documents from the fourth to the tenth centuries. Throughout, the author blends historical examples, linguistic statistics, and methodological reflections, promising a thoughtful journey into the tangled roots of Italy’s linguistic heritage.