Ligurian

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A language of Italy

ISO 639-3
lij
Alternate Names
Ligure, Zenéize
Population

500,000 in Italy (2002). Total users in all countries: 505,100.

Location

Liguria region: east and west of Genoa along the Riviera and mountain hinterland; into Piedmont region: Cuneo province, and Tuscany region: Massa-Carrara province, very small border areas; possible scattered settlements on and around Sardinia.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Dispersed).

Classification
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian
Dialects

Genoese (Genoan, Genovese). Ligurian is reportedly more similar to Piemontese [pms], Lombard [lmo], and French [fra] than to standard Italian [ita].

Language Use

Also use Italian [ita].

Language Development
Newspapers. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1860.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ligurian
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Ligurian has had a literature since the 1200s and the Genoese variant was widely used alongside the Mediterranean because of the commercial and nautical importance of the Republic of Genoa. That is why Zenéize (meaning Genoese) is one of its alternate names.

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