What does SICILIAN sound like? [me speaking Sicilian]
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2023
- What does Sicilian sound like? Sicilian is the language of Sicily, an historically important and culturally rich region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean.
In this video I'll speak in Sicilian so you can discover what this beautiful language sounds like. I've included English sub titles so you can follow along!
#sicilian #siciliano #sicily
I am Romanian...I understood 90% of what you said without translation. The words "frate" and "soro" are identical in my language and mean the same things. I know you addressed and encouraged Italians and other Sicilians to discuss, but I just find it amazing even for me as a Romanian to understand you. In any event, the dialect is beautiful, thank you for sharing.
Hi Mihaela, Thank you for your comment. I'm so pleased you enjoyed listening to Sicilian and being able to understand so much of it. All of the Romance languages are so beautiful and I love to find the connections between them. Romanian to me sounds so similar to Italian, so beautiful to listen to. I'm always so impressed with Romanians that I've come into contact with in Italy. They all speak Italian so well it is often difficult to tell them apart from native speakers. When I was in Sicily years ago, there were a few Sicilians that I spoke to in Sicilian over several days whilst on holiday, only to find out that they were Romanian! All the best from Melbourne Australia
i have noticed the spelling is similar and always wondered if Romanian would be more intelligible because i speak both Sicilian and Italian...what do you think?
@@AlbertManiscalco Interesting. I find spoken Romanian difficult to understand, however written is more intelligible. Definitely speaking both Sicilian and Italian would help with Romanian, especially in the written form.
When I decided to study romanian out of curiosity, a couple of years ago, I discovered plenty of phonetical and vocabular similarities between sicilian and romanian and sometimes the latter sounds like some sort of a southern italian language to my ears ;)
@@scorfanazzo4458 Yes, there are definitely similarities which makes Romanian an interesting language. Thanks for your comment.
I grew up in little italy Toronto (St Clair) in the 60/70/80s, and I feel blessed to have lived the experience of hearing every Italian dialect under the sun! God bless all the Italian who immigrated to Canada, Australia, USA, Argentina etc.. Their contributions have positively impacted everyone around them in countless ways ❤ God's Peace
I agree! The Italians are a resilient, resourceful and talented group of people. All the best! 🙂🙏
As an American with Sicilian heritage, it was wonderful to hear the language of my ancestors. Thank you.
You're welcome. All the best. 🙂🙏
hi, I'm Sicilian, I was born, raised and have always lived in Sicily, and my first language has always been Sicilian. First of all, I want to tell you that it is very beautiful and almost touching to know that our language is still handed down and spoken in the communities of Sicilian emigrants. It's nice to see the emotion that shines in your eyes when you speak it, it means it's an important part of your story and your deepest ties. On the other hand, Sicily and Sicilians, wherever they go, have a deep and close bond between the human soul and the earth, which calls us back, cradles us, binds us firmly to our unique and wonderful island. Having said that, I wanted to tell you, since you asked about it in the video, that your Sicilian is really excellent, keep practicing and improving it, and it will seem as if you were born here. a warm hug.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Yes, it is true, being Sicilian and being able to speak such a beautiful language is very important to me. It is a very strong connection to my identity and one that I'm very proud of. Sicily is such a rich and stunning island and I can't wait to discover more of it when I visit later this year. Sicilians are a proud people, and I would love to be considered one of them. Warm hugs to you too!
Thank you for your beautiful comment. I'm American of Sicilian parents and I feel very fortunate and proud that they taught me to speak Sicilian, una variazione di Palermitano " ri chiddu incaiccatu"! It's wonderful to communicate with my relatives in Sicily. I also studied Italian. The nice thing is, is that when I speak it, people think I was born there and I'm very flattered. As the gentleman said, The Sicilian we were taught is a little old fashion, not too many Italian words and we use words that aren't in use much anymore.
Si io capisco un po di inglese e ho capito che hai notato in lui un certo senso di emozione nei suoi occhi. Emotionin in hes eyes
I want to know how you learned English so well?
Strange to me. As a Spanish speaker I understand Sicilian better than standard Italian
Thanks for your comment. The Spanish were in Sicily for approximately 200 years, from 1282 to 1516, so the influence of Spanish on Sicilian is in evidence. I too find I can understand quite a bit of Spanish due to speaking both Italian and Sicilian. All the best.
correction, more Catalan influence than Spanish yet hardly any words exactly like either of them in Sicilian@@vincemelbourne
eu falo português e pude entender muita coisa.
I was born in New York. My father came from Sicily. He spoke and wrote in Italian for Italian news papers in New York. We spoke English at home because my mother, though an Italian American did not speak Italian.He spoke Sicilian with his relatives. My late wife, Buon Anima, was born in Parma. She spoke Parmigiana with her parents. My wife's parents were from Salerno. She sometimes spoke Salernitano at home. I was exposed to a number of dialects.
Hey John, thanks for your comment. Wow, you really do have a rich dialectical background! All the Italian dialects are rich and precious. Let's hope they survive alongside each other and Italian. All the best. 🙂🙏
That was like listening to music, the murmuring of a river or the wind in the trees. Simply beautiful.
Thank you! What a lovely comment. All the best. 🙏
@MrJtoz That was a beautiful comment, I understand the language and I have never appreciated how it may sound to nonspeakers... Thank you
I am Austrian and I studied Italian. My understanding of the Italian language is not perfect, but most of the time I get around 80-90%
So I was very surprised that I also understood almost everything you said! There are German dialects I have a harder time understanding 😄
That is interesting. Yes Sicilian is classified as a separate language, although not recognised as such, however it shares much in common with standard Italian as they share the same Latin roots. I'm pleased you understood the video! All the best. 😊
@@vincemelbourne Hey Vince, @derhavas: the reason is soon explained. The Italian derives from Sicilian too. Check Dante’s De Vulgari Eloquentia or read about “la Scuola Poetica Siciliana” ;) Of course, keeping in mind the differences between spoken and written languages.
@derhavas
I understand you, germanics langs and dialetcs in many types and subfamilies are not inteligible between them, they radically changed and evoluted so fast, today many germanics idioms don't have more mutual conversation and inteligibiliy to establish a medium or long conversation inter them.
This phenomenon not belongs into german, if we pass to another camp,idiom as english, inside of English we have many regiolects and idiolects that too aren't mutual inteligible and talkative inter them, that should prefer talks in german, italian, spanish, french, dutch, indonesian too...
Romanics idioms devoloped so much but in a down and medium speed to preserver the dialogues and intercomphensuon in a high level and communication til today.
It's a fact the most branch Indo-European world champion in inteligibiliy, intercomprehension and mutual dialogue is always the romanic branch without a doubt.
I am first generation Australian Siciliano, and I can tell you I understood every single word you said... So much easier for me to understand and comprehend your Sicilian than when I hear Italian.. Amazing I felt like I have known you for years. I just noticed your youtube name... Hahahahah I am in Sydney.
Oi fratello!
Hey there! Glad you understood the video. Hi from Melbourne!
First generation Sicilian-American here (my parents came from around Palermo) and I understood everything. There's more Italian peppered in but I've heard the Sicilian by Palermo is more heavily influenced by the mainland than central or South Sicily.
Thanks for your comment. Glad you understood the video! 🙂🙏
My dad was born around Palermo in 1902
I speak Romanian (1st language), French (3rd language but very fluent) and a bit of Spanish. Honestly this sounds like Portuguese-Italian to me, but i still think it's awesome how easily I can understand him, even without looking at the captions.
So interesting. I find Portuguese, especially Brazilian Portuguese, has elements similar to Sicilian. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
@@vincemelbourne as a Brazilian I can confirm your pronunciation sounds very familiar! Having already visited Italy, I can understand you much better, though I can't actually understand much of what you say. Portuguese and Italian have a bigger gap than it seems.
@@1918BARsam Yes that is true. However there is definitely a strong connection between the two languages, especially I believe between Sicilian and Brazilian Portuguese. Thanks for your comment and all the best!
for me, it sounds very romanian.
@@vincemelbourneWell I guess it's more related to the Paulistano dialect that was heavily influenced by italian immigrants
I enjoyed your video, I am Calabrese and understood everything. Siciliano is very similar to Calabrese .I too enjoy hearing the different dialects from Italy. I am fluent in 5 languages and I love to study the different dialects from them too.English,Italian, Spanish French, and Arabic
Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and were able to understand it. Yes Calabrian is very similar, especially as spoken in the southern part of Calabria. All the best.
This is interesting that you seem to be not aware of it but linguistically Calablere is just Sicilian. It is considered as a dialect of Sicilian. I used to think that the language is natively spoken only in Scily but this is not correct. Greetings
How interesting you are. Nice to know your playing your part in honouring dialects in whatever language and especially Italian and French - our favourites. I'm good at French reading and writing but can not understand much when a French native speaks, unless its really, really show!
@@KurdedunaysiriI think it depends on where in Calabria. I’m from a town near Cosenza, and our dialect is like a mix of Sicilian and Neapolitan
There really is no such thing as the Calabrese language, unlike Sicilian. In central and South Calabria they speak a Sicilian Dialect.
My name is Matteo. I am first generation born in Montreal, Canada. All my family (aunts/uncles/parents/grandparents came from Cattolica Eraclea, in the province of Agrigento. I spoke Sicilian with them since I was a little boy, but now at 44 yo they are all slowly passing away and I won't have anyone to speak with anymore. I don't speak Sicilian with my cousins or siblings. 😢
Ciao Matteo! Thanks for your comment. I'm in a similar situation. I only speak Sicilian with my dad, rarely speaking it with my siblings. It's such a beautiful language and the reason I made the video was to keep a record of it not only for me, but also for anyone else who's interested. All the best from Melbourne Australia!
My maternal grandmother was from C.E. my parents families were from Cianciana.
I'm first generation Sicilian, I was born in Toronto, Canada. I myself don't speak Sicilian with my siblings since they don't know how..I do speak some Sicilian,doesn't help that Papa always speaks English to all of us. Let's speak Sicilian to each other if you want..Parammu u Siciliannu va been??
Your Sicilian is almost perfect, but I can tell it has some modern Italian influence. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing but modern day Sicilian is a little removed from the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Italy unifying had something to do with that. My grandfather was born in the region of Agrigento, which at that time was called Girgenti. Spanish has influenced the Sicilian quite a bit as well as French from the 1300s. So Sicilian as well as most languages evoke over time. One word I picked up on that you pronounced more like an Italian would was “pensando”. In Sicilian it would be said pensannu. Regardless though great accent.
Thanks for your comment and feedback! Appreciated. As you say, Sicilian has and continues to evolve. Yes, I'm sure my Sicilian has been influenced by Italian. All the best!
catalan*
ma dialettu t'o unne Paleimetannu e vatri parrati 'nu dialettu chiu viscinu 'Taliannu che natri siccomu 'un cera troppu assai di cummatteri cu spagnuoli o i francisi cca (Paleimmu) cumparisi cu l'autri paitti d'a Sicilia
Ola. Sou brasileiro. Ouvi seu vídeo junto com minha esposa. Não falamos nem Italiano, nem siciliano.
Contudo, conseguimos entender tudo o quê você disse.
@@marcelosaad5144 eu entendo portugues tambem
I studied latin in school for 5 years normally and 2 years as an intensified course and I am amazed by how much I understand! I think languages are a super intesting topic, so I very much liked your video. Thumbs up :)
Agree! Languages are fascinating. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and were able to understand so much! All the best.🙂🙏
Wow, I want to listen to this over and over again. I was raised in a Sicilian family, living in Canada. I never imagined that I would be the last one, still on this earth, with all my family members gone. It is wonderful to hear you speak.
Thanks for your lovely comment! Glad you enjoyed the video. 🙂🙏
I am Irish, and I speak French, and can get by in Spanish and Italian. I found that I could understand you as well as I could understand Italian.
Thanks Tim! I'm glad you were able to understand Sicilian. Yes, the romance languages are all interconnected. I also enjoy being able to understand other romance languages to varying degrees. All the best!
I had many Sicilian friends growing up and I picked up quite a bit of Sicilian. Your Sicilian is very much what I heard in the 50's and 60's. I am Italian, and always found my Sicilian friends to be kind, honest, and generous to a fault. Always welcoming.
Thanks! Yes, they can be kind, honest and generous, although I must say, I was just in Italy and travelled from north to south, and I found all Italians to be so warm and friendly. All the best, 🙏🙂
I am greek and italian born in Mexico and I understand about 80 percent of what you said. I don't know what part of Italy my family is from and I never knew that there was a difference outside of dialects of Italian.
I never learned Italian but would like to as identity and culture are very important to me
Thanks for your comment. It's great you were able to understand so much of the video. Yes agree that language is a big part of identity. All the best with learning Italian!
maybe because they are not dialects?
dhladh mhlas ellhnika, italika kai ispanika apo paidi ?
So you never learned Italian, only knew Spanish but understood this? Spanish speakers can’t understand 80% of this can they?
Quite a lot can be understood if one speaks Portuguese! Great initiative, well done!!!
Thanks for your comment! Yes, I've found quite a similarity between Sicilian and Portuguese. That's why I love the Romance languages! All the best. 🙂🙏
@@vincemelbourne I'd like to stress the fact that each single initiative to show and comment on regional languages, dialects, accents is a contribution to its survival on a long run! I appreciate your work on that and your video made me recognize something I had never had contact with before.
This is amazing! I understood pretty much every word you said! My grandparents were born in Sicily and they raised me, and they would always speak Sicilian to eachother and to me. I would answer in English. I wish I had learned to speak, but I do understand everything my nonna says. I definitely don’t want this language to disappear, it’s so beautiful.
Thanks Ashley! So pleased you understood the video. Yes I agree that Sicilian is a beautiful language that we must ensure lives on. All the best! 🙂🙏
I was born in Sicily at the time when it was the spoken language at home and in school. I left Sicily and settled in America. My family and relatives all spoke Sicilian and some still do. It is my comfort language. Understood all that you said. Congratulations.😊
I'm so glad you understood. 'My comfort language' is such a great way to describe Sicilian. All the best. 🙂🙏
I'm learning Italian for my trip to Italy, but I realize it will be very different when I go to Sicilia to find my relatives.
Thanks for your comment. You'll be totally fine with Italian, as all Sicilians speak Italian! Enjoy your trip! 😊🙏
About the flag of Sicily with the three legs probably there is a connection with an ancient Greek name of Sicily.
Τριακρία -Triacria meaning three limbs , due to the triangular shape of the island.
I didn't know that, but it makes perfect sense! Thanks! 🙂🙏
Thank you for the video : )
Thank you so much! Very kind of you. 🙏
Frate,eu sunt roman si am inteles aproape tot din limba siciliana . Imi place foarte mult cum suna toate dialectele din Sudul Italiei . Bravo ! Sper sa intelegi si tu putin din ce-am scris eu aici ! 😅 Numai bine ! !
Ciau frate! Yes I was able to understand the general idea of what you wrote. Romanian is our sister language! All the best. 😀🙏
capiu 95% d'a lingua t'o
@@historicalreview7839napule????
I lived in Catania for a few years and my wife at the time was Italian from Piemonte but had lived in Sicily for 10 years. She spoke Siciliano with her friends and I picked up many words just from listening to her speak. I pretty well understood most everything that you said and at times, I had to make sure that you were speaking Siciliano since I don't remember it being so easy to understand.
Thanks for your comment! Sicilian can be very similar to standard Italian. I believe that as I intentionally spoke slowly and clearly, that may have made it easier for you to understand. All the best.🙂
Brilliant Video! I myself also understand the importance of keeping the identity of regions alive. As I dont speak Italian, I dont really know the distinction here, but the words seemed beautifully poignant to me. Please keep doing more videos about linguistic matters like this, would love it!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Encouraging feedback. Yes keeping regional languages and cultures alive is so important. All the best. 🙏
Dialect comparisons culturally in Italy.....that would be a great tutorial.
Great idea! I've made a note for future videos. 😊🙏
I'm American, but my Dad's parents were born in Calabria and came to the US in 1921 and 1927 respectively. They spoke standard Italian, but also their local dialect from Isca Sullo Ionio in Catanzaro province, which is categorized by linguists as "Sicilian." Where you say "iddu" and "iddi," they would've said "iju" and "iji" with the double D sound coming out more as an English "y." But, I think they probably could've understood you OK
Thanks for your comment. Yes you are right, the language from the southern part of Calabria, including where your grandparents came from, is classified as Sicilian, or more precisely, a dialect of Sicilian. My mother came from a little further south, in the province of Reggio Calabria, and she spoke a dialect that was also very similar to the Sicilian my dad speaks. Speakers of eastern Sicilian and southern Calabrian have no trouble understanding each other. Part of the language continuum. Cheers
That’s so interesting. I’m Calabrese also, but from a town near Cosenza, and we say “idru” and “idri”
As a Calabrian,i understood 99% of everything
That's great! Thanks for your comment.🙂🙏
I'm brazilian and I understood about 90% of your speech. I don't know if its because I'm good with languages in general, being fluent in english, spanish and japanese other than portuguese... Probably the average brazilian will not be able to understand you, but I'm glad I did!
Cumpliments from Brazil!
Thanks for your comment! So pleased you could understand the video. I've noticed that there are similarities between Sicilian and Brazilian Portuguese. It seems speaking so many languages would definitely have helped you understand! All the best! 🙂🙏
Jo sóc valenciana i he estudiat italià. He entés tot el que has dit al 100%. El sicilià és una llengua molt bonica. Gràcies pel vídeo.
Grazie per il tuo commento! Ti scrivo in italiano perché sono sicuro che capirai. Il catalano è anche una bellissima lingua, che capisco abbastanza quando guardo programmi televisivi in catalano. Ciao!
Is Valencian the same with Catalan?
@@aiurea1 yes it is.
@@ruthl.8069very intresting. If you would count Catalan-Valencian speakers in Spain would they be as much as Portuguese (in Portugal)?
@@aiurea1 that is a more complicated question in my opinion: if you count all the population in that territory that "knows" the language, then yes, the numbers are roughly similar to the Portuguese speakers in Portugal. However if you count ONLY the native speakers (not the ones that have learned in school, etc) then probably the number would be less. Bear in mind that all Catalan speakers are required to be bilingual also in Castilian Spanish, unlike Portugal where they are monolingual with no other official language. So it's a little bit more difficult to know the exact number of speakers.
Great video , I was born in OZ to Sicilian mother and Veneto father who taught us Italian but my non i on my mums side spoke Sicilian so even though I can only say a few words I understood every word you said even though my grandparents passed away over 25 years ago. Funnily the same goes for Veneto though I never met my non i on papas side I can also understand Veneto really well.
Keep up the great work on maintaining these beautiful languages
Ni vidimmu!
(I think that’s right)😂
Thanks for your comment! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, agree, all the languages of Italy are beautiful and should be celebrated. All the best! 😀🙏
I was born in England. My dad was from Brindisi and my mama was from Calabria, and i understand you perfectly! When it comes to the Northern Italians, i do get lost a little! Thank you! Anna UK. 👍❤️
Hey, Thanks for your comment! So glad you understood the video. Yes all the dialects from Tuscany down are related, so somewhat easy to understand by others speaking similar dialects. Northern Italian dialects are a different branch of the family, so although still related, a little further away and more difficult to understand. Cheers!😀
I learn Sicilian (Palermitano) in an Italian immigrant family in the USA 82 years ago. It was wartime and since both parents worked, my grandmother who only spoke Sicilian raised me until WWII ended. I am both amazed and pleased that after so many years I understood every word you said. I remember the fun we all had with the language as it is as rich, colorful, fluid, and flexible as any other spoken tongue. Bravo!
How old are you?
. I will be 82 years old tomorrow . Wish me a Happy Birthday . My Parlermitana mother lived to be 100.
@@josjos1847 I will be 82 years old tomorrow. Wish me a Happy Birthday. My Parlermitana mother lived to be 100. She was born 5 years before Mussolini marched on Rome.
Wow! That's amazing! Happy Birthday!! All the best! 🙂🙏🎂
Thank you! I'm so happy you understood the video and it brought back great memories. I agree, Sicilian (and all its dialects) are beautiful! 🙏🙂
Sicilian is a very beautiful language, it is integrated with Italian, Neapolitan, Sardinian, Romanian and Abrusseze.
Some, out of spite and prejudice, treat Sicilian as a separate language; it has nothing separate, it has strong roots in the Romanesque of southern Italy and in popular Latin.
It is a respectable language very connected with other neighboring and non-neighboring languages around the world.
beautiful video.
Thanks so much! Appreciate your feedback and insights. Yes of course I agree with you, Sicilian is a beautiful language. All the best. 🙂🙏
It is believed Roman soldiers from Southern Italy stationed in Dacia helped create the Romanian language since the Romans were there for at least 200 years and that is why so many Romanian surnames end in the letter "u"
Fantastic!
Thanks! 🙂
Two recently arrived laborers to new york tried speaking, but didn't understand the other's strange language. One was from Sicily, the other, Sardinia. 144 dialects, Italy has. And they change noticeably, from one town over.
Thanks for your comment! Yes you are totally correct. Italy is a land of many local languages/dialects which makes for a rich cultural mix. All the best.🙂🙏
It's been 1,917 years since my Southern Italian (mostly Sicilian) Roman soldier ancestors settled in Roman Dacia. Fast-forward to today, their language evolved into Romanian.
Sicilian: "Omu, nostru, vostru, avvucatu, doctoru, dollaru, mortu, vinu, vicinu, cu, annu, bonu, capu,"...
Romanian: "Omul, nostru, vostru, advocatul, doctorul, dolarul, mortul, vecinul, cu, anul, bunul, capul,"...
That is fascinating! It is true that Sicilian and Romanian have many similarities. All the best! 🙂
"we must preserve these dialects"
...of course! that is an offer i cannot refuse.
I'm glad we agree! Thanks for your comment.
I'm a Portuguese speaker and I understood a lot of you've said. By the way, when you spoke here [0:43] I thought you were speaking Portuguese. Here's the sentence spelled in Portuguese, so you can see how similar the languages can be: "Poder falar siciliano é assaz importante pra mim. Faz parte da minha cultura e da minha identidade". And it's pronounced almost the same.
Thanks for your comment. That is amazing! I've also found that there are similarities between Portuguese and Sicilian. Sister languages for sure! 🙂🙏
Grazie!
Prego!
I’m from Brazil and I was able to understand everything he spoke.
Thanks for your comment! So glad you were able to understand the video. All the best 🙂🙏
Spanish is my mother tongue and I understand Italian . I understood nearly all the words but all the sense of what you were saying. It's wonderful to keep the language of our ancestors and pass it to the younger generations. Keep it up!
So pleased you understood the video! Yes, I believe all languages are important and should be preserved, especially when they are under threat like Sicilian, so I try to put the language out there and hope it stays alive for future generations. All the best! 🙂🙏
Thank you for speaking Sicilian for us. It resembles Italian as accents but some words are different, and also some expressions are different. It is enough that spoken quickly makes it difficult to understand, so it's a dialect. There could be old words that are valuable for etimological studies. Sure, preserve it. Italy is richer with Sicilian.
Thanks for your comment! Yes Sicilian and standard Italian are closely related, but still distinct. Agree that Sicilian and all Italian local languages/dialects make for a rich culture. All the best!
so it's not a dialect, because it's not a variation of Italian, but Latin. Galician and Portuguese are almost the same, but one is not a dialect of the other.
Sono italiana (madre veneta e padre toscano)e ho un'autentica adorazione per la Sicilia! Quello che è stato detto nel video l ho capito ma ,in genere, se parlano dei siciliani, sinceramente non capisco assolutamente niente . Ma mi piace l accento, quando parlano in italiano
Grazie Francesca, Sono contento che abbia capito quello che ho detto in siciliano! Sono daccordo che l'accento siciliano e carino.
secondo te ci sono tanti nel nord che anche piacciono il accento siciliano?
@@AlbertManiscalco Ciao, sono abruzzese.
No, non credo, ai settentrionali non piacciono i nostri accenti meridionali.
A me, d'altra parte, non piacciono gli accenti ed i dialetti settentrionali, li trovo lagnosi, cacofonici, provinciali e volgari. 🙂
Great work ! I could understand 100% knowing Calabrese (born and raised in the US) .. Sicilian is a beautiful language …
Thanks for your comment! Glad you could understand the video. My mother was Calabrian, from the southern tip of the region, so I'm very familiar with the dialect from that part, which is very similar to Sicilian. All the best.
Bravissimo veramente! Il siciliano è una lingua fantastica ❤
Grazie mille! Sì sono d'accordo! Ciao 🙂
@@vincemelbourne Un saluto dalla Sicilia messinese.
My family came from Sicily to Canada in the early 50s, my grand parents didn't speak a ton of English when I was a child, they're gone now; but hearing you speak oddly takes me back.
I'm glad the video brings back memories for you. All the best. 🙂🙏
Ciau Vince, ju scummettu ca ‘a tò famigghia vinìu dâ pruvincia di Catania, armenu di quarchi postu vicinu. Facisti nu beddu travagghiu cu stu videu! Macari ju sugnu d’urìggini di Melbourne. Salutamu.
Ciau! Ndai raggiuni. Simu da provincia di Siracusa. Mi fa piaceri ca ti piaciu u vidiu. Salutamu!
My parents come from the Comunità Montana Alta Irpinia province Avellino region Campania. They only speak their Irpinian dialect to me and that helped me to unterstand almost everything said in Sicilian in this video.
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you were able to understand! All the best
Gratias multae pro facere iste video. Erat valde interessante per videre et audire illa lingua.
My pleasure! Thanks for your comment, which is so similar to Sicilian and Italian! 🙂🙏
Vince e' u stissu do nostru , yu parru comu a tia e comu gia' sai sugnu da provincia di Siracusa. Ma basta ca talluntani 10km e no paisi vicinu janu n'accentu tanticchia diversu ma si capisci tuttu u stissu. Addivertiti a parrari *CARCARARU* [Siciliano] 🤩🤩
Ciau Giovanni! Mi fa piaciri ca parramu a stissa lingua. Sì eccomu è veru ca lingua siciliana cambia quannu ti sposti. È a prima vota ca sentu diri CARCARARU. Grazie p'avermi introdotto. Ciao!🙂🙏
I'm Russian native, live in Italy for 6 years, and I can easily understand your speech. It's seems to me italianized to some extent.
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you're able to understand the video. Yes I have no doubt that there is some Italian influence on my Sicilian, as I speak Italian also. All the best!
Thank you
Thank you!
A flash back to my youth, thank you. But there are many versions of Sicilian where each region has its own color to the language. My parents came from different towns on the eastern side, while I was born in Montreal. Each area, including North America, adding unique words or pronunciations. I have memories of Sicilian families that I had a lot of trouble understanding, just because they came from a different regions.
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, there are different dialects of Sicilian spoken on the island, and the biggest differences seem to be between the east and west. The version of Sicilian I speak, taught to me by my father, is from Siracusa, which is on the eastern side of the island. All the best from Melbourne.
Hi! I copy what I wrote to another poster:
An anecdote told to me by an Italian friend from Piemonte. As a teenager some 45 years ago he was a pupil in a boarding school. Three of his classmates were from Sicily. One day he asked them why they spoke Italian among themselves in spite of being all Sicilian. They replied that they could not understand each other´s dialect.
That's interesting!
@@aquelpibe Growing up, I didn't know anyone from that generation that hadn't been born in Sicily or Calabria. I always thought it was funny that we all could understand our own grandparents, but no one else's. Now I know why! Imagine my amazement upon meeting my new friend's grandmother---who had been born in Kansas. 😵💫 Mind. Blown.
I am napoletano and my wife is Sicilian I understand perfectly her dialect and she understands mine. Lol.
That's great! They are closely related. I enjoy trying to understand the Neapolitan dialect. I was in Naples last year and the Neapolitans speak to each other in Neapolitan, so it is alive and well! 😊🙏
i can understand standard Italian, like the people speak on the news programs that are meant for a wide audience outside of Italy, but there were some words and phrases that i did not recognize - such as the varied use of the word "Come" and use of other words in place of words that I would expect such as the prepositions "di," "d'" dalle" degli". Anyway that was interesting, thank you.
Thanks! I'm glad you found the video interesting. 🙂🙏
My father is from Calabria and I always thought Sicilian and Calabrese dialect were very similar. Hearing you speak I now realize that it’s quite different. Anyways I Iike your video, ciao!
Thanks for your comment! Yes they can be similar, but it depends which part of Calabria your dad is from. If from around the Cosenza area in the north, then the dialect spoken there is part of the Neopolitan family of languages so quite different from the Sicilian related dialects in the rest of Calabria. Having said that, event the Calabrian related to Sicilian has distinct sounds and vocabulary as compared to the Sicilian I'm speaking in the video. Cheers🙂🙏
My family is from Sambiase and our languages are similar. I think of them as dialects of Latin not Italian. My dialect has a more Napolitano and Spanish affect. I understood everything you said. Perhaps because I worked in places where people would speak in so many Southern dialects. Beautiful experiences. Thanks
@@luigig6256 Thanks for your comment. Yes all the dialects are beautiful and need to be preserved. 🙂🙏
Great video!
I am catalan and I understood nearly all of your speech. I love to have heard sicilian accent, specially the pronounciation of “r”.
Also, it reminds me the language of The Godfather films, which, after hearing to you, it looks like more sicilian than italian. Is that so?
Thanks for your comment! So pleased you enjoyed the video. Yes, the Italian in the Godfather films is "Sicilianized Italian." This is to add authenticity to the characters. I've watched a few tv programs in Catalan, and it seems to be that Catalan is a very close relative to Italian. I enjoy being able to understand quite a bit of the language when watching these shows. All the best!
Understand this 100%. In Calabria they speak a Sicilian Dialect (central south Calabria) This sounds exactly like what they speak in that region of Calabria.
Thanks for your comment. Yes absolutely correct. The central and southern parts of Calabria speak dialects of the Sicilian language and the northern part speaks dialects of the Neapolitan language. My mother was from the southern part of Calabria, so I'd say I've definitely got some Calabrian mixed up with my Sicilian. All the best! 🙂🙏
Bravo e interessante! Lo parli bene, secondo me tuo padre era della Sicilia orientale (es. Siracusa o dintorni). C'è qualche piccolissima influenza calabra ma lo parli proprio bene. Anch'io sto facendo un percorso culturale come il tuo, con approfondimenti storici e familiari. Good luck mate and take care 👍
Esattamente. Mio padre è della provincia di Siracusa. Mia madre era calabrese, quindi sì, c'è sicuramente qualche influenza calabrese. Grazie per il tuo commento. Molto gentile. Buon percorso! Take care and all the best to you too.
I understood about 98% of what you said. My parents were Sicilian and spoke it in the house. Also my Canadian relations and some of my father's siblings, aunts and uncles spoke it. Unfortunately I am not able to speak but a
few words and phrases. I'm trying to learn Italian so that I can speak with my relatives in Italy and Sicily when I go to visit. If I lived in Sicily I know I could become fluent in both.
Thanks for your comment! Yes being immersed in the language where it's spoken is the best way to learn a language. I'm glad you understood so much of the video. All the best with your quest to learn Italian and Sicilian. Cheers
If you spend time in Sicily you will pick it up in no time.
very interesting and beautiful...
Thank you! 🙏
i'm Brazilian and Sicilian looks like easier than Italian to understand, i could understand a lot of the video, good video congratulate.
Thanks for your comment! That's amazing. I'm currently studying Brazilian Portuguese, which I am loving. Such a beautiful language. I have noticed quite a few similarities between Sicilian and Brazilian Portuguese and I enjoy it all the more because of that connection. All the best!
T'abbrazzu forti fratuzzu caru! Si' lu megghiu. I'm also associated with many groups promoting the Sicilian Language. AnTuDo!
Un'abbrazzu puru a tia! Thanks for your message and for pointing the heads up about AnTuDo. All the best.
@@vincemelbourne Absolutely! As I said before, I created 2 Facebook Sicilian Language learning groups totaling near 40, 000 and I teach Sicilian in my hometown. There is a gigantic need for more Sicilian Content like yours. I used this video in my class for practice, and everyone agreed that your pronunciation is superb, and your video is of the highest quality. I strongly encourage you to continue with the Sicilian and perhaps consider doing simple conversational Sicilian lessons. They love your content and would love to see more.
Assabinirica!
Sounds just like my grandparents would speak. Miss it
🙏❤️
It’s magical for me hearing you speak Sicilian; it brings back so many memories. My mother’s parents were Sicilian; they’d emigrated to London about 100 years ago. They spoke Sicilian to each other, though only English to their children, who could understand Sicilian but not speak it. I can recall visiting my grandparents when I was a child in the 1960s and 70s and hearing them speak to each other in Sicilian. I know that when my grandparents visited Sicily in the early 1950s, they were criticised by people there for speaking “that old language”. I always thought that was a terrible attitude. My father is Irish, and historically a similar attitude existed towards the Irish language, which has similar parallels to Sicilian. It’s wonderful to know that this attitude has changed, and people are trying to preserve the language. What is the attitude to Sicilian in Sicily today? Is there a movement to preserve it and increase its usage?
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing Sicilian. It's certainly a beautiful language that I'm very proud to be able to speak, and in my own way, hoping to raise awareness and preserve it. There are many who want to promote and preserve this language, which, as with all languages, is the bearer of so much history, identity, and culture. I am saddened when I hear of any language that is under threat, and Irish Gaelic is definitely in this category. Still, I'm pleased that there are those who want to promote its usage. I've just been to Sicily, and the language is still alive, although many will only speak in Italian as Sicilian is reserved for family and friends. However, I did find some Sicilians willing to talk to me in Sicilian, which was great! All the best. 🙂🙏
@@vincemelbourne Thank you again for posting the video - it brought back so many memories, especially in your other video which I also commented on. It's great to see the change in attitude towards language and inherited culture. My mother was born and grew up in London and as I mentioned her parents spoke only in English to her and her sisters, with the result she couldn't speak either Sicilian or Italian, much to her (and my!) subsequent regret. I think it would be very different today, with children being encouraged rather than discouraged from keeping their inherited identify and language alive. Some things are definitely getting better rather than worse, despite all the problems of the modern world.
So true! 🙂🙏
there was a few years ago but the Italian population have been dumbed down to focus their attention on soap operas and tabloids. Sadly Italy and Europe have committed cultural suicide and we have the elites and mega corporations to thank for that sad reality
I'm italian, even though I can't actually speak any dialect, I was able to understand everything you said
That's great! So glad you understood the video. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
dios mio!! un italiano communicandose con otro italiano en ingles 🤯
As a sicilian I confirm that this is a beautifull video, you just get some words wrong but dw
Beautiful video
Ps non dire parlavano "pi" sicilianu ma "u" sicilianu
Thanks so much for your feedback. Appreciated. 🙂🙏
Yo soy hispanohablante y lo entiendo casi todo al siciliano.
¡Estoy feliz de leer esto! 🙂🙏
Beautiful video! I also think it's important to keep alice our Language. Your Sicilian is fine considering that you don't live here! Un salutu a to patri!
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed the video. Yes very important to keep Sicilian alive. Saluti dall'Australia. 🙂
Ciao Enzo - mi trovo nella stessa condizione come alla tua. Vivo dal 1964 in Germania e ogni volta che vado in Italia è parlo il siciliano, il siciliani di Alcamo mi dicono sempre che parlo l'Alcamese come 60 anni fa, senza una traccia di evoluzione. Naturalmente capisco il tuo siciliano, caro Vincenzo. Un forte abbraccio dalla Germania
Ciao Lino, grazie tanto per il tuo commento! È vero che è difficile mantenere una lingua quando ci si è distaccati dal luogo dove viene parlata. Nonostante ciò, è bello mantenere la lingua il più possibile. Un forte abbraccio anche a te, caro Lino, e saluti dall'Australia!
As a native English speaker and a linguist, who doesn't speak Italian but understands a little, this was really interesting. To me it didn't sound that different from "standard" Italian, if you know what I mean, if there is such a thing. For comparison, it sounded to me kind of like the difference between Castilian and Galician.
Thanks for your comment and insight. That's really interesting. In my opinion, Sicilian is not that different to 'standard' Italian, however the accent and vocabulary can be quite different giving the impression that it may be incomprehensible to an Italian speaker. But structurally they are very similar indeed. It certainly 'feels' different when I speak Sicilian as opposed to Italian. I wasn't aware that Castilian and Galician were so similar. All the best!
there is spoken word in the beginning. it is really very different from italian. czcams.com/video/HXCzK832d5E/video.html
@@vincemelbourne Well, I'm no expert, but in the film _As Bestas_ ("The Beasts"), a Frenchman living in Galicia speaks Castilian to the locals, and they speak Galego back to him, and they understand each other just fine. To be fair, it's fiction, but a quick bit of online research confirms that this is completely realistic. Galego is more closely related to Portuguese, however.
Actually, I had the same reaction. I was wondering at what point he was going to start speaking Sicilian. Then realized he was just doing that. That’s fun to realize that when you dab in several languages, things just flow and you fill the blanks you don’t understand.
@@jp16k92 she sings in Sicilian. with the lyrics czcams.com/video/LcInq5VNNys/video.html
Sicilian is a proper language with its own literature. That should be the national language of the Sicilian state in my opinion. Being that is part of the Italian Republic of course Italian should be an important part of the official state.
Thanks for your comment. 🙂🙏
This reminds me of my childhood. I'm American but both sets of grandparents came from near Palermo about 100 years ago. They spoke Sicilian with my parents and other family members. I can't speak it but but picked up lots of words and phrases from them and my parents. I remember mom telling me to always address Nonna as ""Vossia" and never "Tu"!
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad the video brought back childhood memories for you. Well 'la Nonna' is an important figure in Italian families, so I can see why your mother wanted the use of the polite form of address when speaking with your Nonna! All the best.🙏
Hello, I speak Spanish (Ecuador) and it was easy to understand almost everything you said but for some reason I think they Sicilians speak very much faster! All the best to you all from Ecuador.
Thanks for your comment. That's very interesting you could understand so much of the video. Yes Sicilians can speak fast! 😊
Caro Vince, io sono argentino, nipote da siciliani, non posso scrivere siciliano, ma capisco abbastanza bene la lingua. Per me, e un piacere ascoltarti in la bella lingua di miei antenati. Complimenti.
Caro Claudio, Grazie per il tuo commento! Sono felice che il video ti sia piaciuto. Per quanto ne sappia, ci sono molti argentini di origine italiana. Infatti, mia zia, la sorella maggiore di mia madre, è emigrata in Argentina ed io ho dei cugini argentini. Un abbraccio!
@@vincemelbourne Abbraccio ¡
Ciao Vince
I'm Australian born to Calabrian parents. I'm now 74. Both parents have long past as is the rest of my immediate Italian family in Australia. I haven't heard the Calabrian dialect for many, many years. But let me say I could understand all you said in your delightful video.
I've wondered for a long time whether Italy, north of 'mezzo-giorno', has finally come to embrace the many dialects of Italy. I maybe wrong, but many years ago got the impression that dialects were Grinch-worthy in mainstream Italy. I hope this has changed or is changing.
Hey, maybe you could do another video on this very topic presented in the lovely lilt of your Sicilian dialect!
Ciao Mike, Thanks for your comment. I'm so glad you understood the video and I hope it reminded you of your Calabrian dialect. My mother was Calabrian, so I'm familiar with the dialect, especially that spoken around the city of Reggio Calabria, which in many ways is similar to Sicilian, especially that spoken in Messina. The Italian dialects, or rather local languages, are a very important part of what makes Italians who they are and makes Italy a special place. I like your idea and have noted it for a future video! All the best! Vince
@@vincemelbourne Saw Part 2 - nice for you to have your dad talk about his life. Best wishes.
BTW - my wife and I have visited Sicily - mainly the south east - Catania, Ragasa-Ebla, Noto, Modica, Scicli. Big, big vans of Commissario Montalbano. Found "Montalbano's House" at Punta Secca.
Cheers
Lets see more.
@@mikeperri7246 Thanks Mike! Will be visiting those areas in Sicily in a few weeks! Can't wait. Ciao 🙂
@@vincemelbourne We are green with envy here Vince.
Feel free to send photos along the way in your travels.
@@mikeperri7246 Yes, planning to upload some travel vlogs on the channel, so stay tuned! 🙂
Sicilian is the language of Sicily, an historically important and culturally rich region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean.
In this video I'll speak in Sicilian so you can discover what this beautiful language sounds like. I've included English sub titles so you can follow along!
are you Aussie?
Capivu tuttu chiddu ca dicisti, na tanticch'i paura e maravigghia mi vinne a pinsari a comu na pirsuna ri n'avutru paisi sape parrare 'n sicilianu... Comu si potte liggiri 'un sugnu bravo a parrare sicilianu, sugnu nu picciotto ra isola però mai m'insignavu o m'insignaru a parrare a lingua ra me tierra e chistu è u veru prubblema. Grazie pi stu video. Tanti saluti e tante cose buone, e 'na vasata ri Paliemmo
Thank you! I'm going to reply in English as I see another comment from you in English. Yes, well my father taught me Sicilian, and we spoke it at home, along with English, so it really is part of my DNA. It seems your Sicilian is great and it's heartening that 'nu picciotto' like you can use this beautiful language! 'Na vasata ri Melbourne! 😀
@@vincemelbourne ❤️
So beautiful
Thank you so much. 🙏
I'm Sicilian, from Palermo, the capital, and what you spoke is a standard, generic version of Sicilian with words that come from every city in the region. Every city and paese (They're very small towns that are independent, but still part of the 7 major cities) has its own slight variation, usually regarding pronunciation and/or cadence. I know palermitano, and if you wanna take a listen, here's a video: czcams.com/video/Aq5dorRBf00/video.html
I know the guy is a migrant, but he speaks it perfectly, almost as if he was born there.
Thanks for your comment and video link. 🙂
@@vincemelbourne Don't mention it :)
French, with a background of Italian at school back in the days. Well, quite understandable I’d say. Got about 60% of it without the translation.
Thanks for your comment. I'm pleased you understood so much!
Love it. I understood every word. I to have a Sicilian father but my mother is venta. I lived my Sicilian nonni and that where I learnt it. Unfortunately I don’t have anyone I can talk to anymore 😢
Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you understood. I value having my father to speak Sicilian with . Unfortunately it is a language in decline, even in Sicily. Hopefully it will not be lost. All the best.
@@vincemelbourne yes less and less are of my cousins over there speak it.
That is a real shame! 🙁
@@vincemelbourne interesting story, when I had cousins come from Sicily for a holiday, I had to translate to some of my family here as they spoke so different.
@@adamfontana537 It's amazing that even between Sicilians speaking Sicilian it can be challenging to understand!
Je suis français mais mon grand père et ma grand-mère sont sont nés à palermo mon père et ma mère sont nés en Tunisie à la maison ils parlait sicilien j'ai grandi avec cette langue ils parlait exactement comme dans la vidéo cette langue me manque j'aime beaucoup cette langue sicilienne
Bonjour Joseph, merci pour votre commentaire. J'aime aussi cette langue car elle est un lien fort avec mes racines culturelles. Je suis content que vous ayez aimé écouter le sicilien. Bien à vous, Vincent
I'm not Sicilian (nor Italian in general) but anything Italian or of Italian origin is beautiful.
Thank you! So nice of you to say!
My father had 6 brothers they got together every Sunday and spoke Sicilian, unfortunately the children understood but didn't speak as we were in America and had to Americanize,so sad we mostly lost the Language
That's a shame. Hope you get to reconnect with Sicilian at some stage. 😊🙏
I am Sicilian background and you speak like my family. They are from a small town in Provence of Messina
Thanks for your comment! Appreciated. 🙏
@annacschepis, Hey Paesano, my Father came from a small Provence in Messina... Giagi where are you from?
San Pier Niceto
I’m 71 and was born and raised in an Italian immigrant family in New York City. We’re not Sicilian - my parents were born in Abruzzo. Outside our home, we mostly spoke a dialect I’ve heard called “Broccolino”, which was pretty much a mix of Italian and the various Southern Italian dialects that you found in the Italian-American community. I understood 100% of this video. Is this actually a Sicilian dialect? My old landlord (from Agrigento) used to speak like this, as did a lot of my Sicilian neighbors, but they all insisted that they were speaking to me in Italian, not dialect, and that if they DID speak their dialect, I wouldn’t understand them. I’m not criticizing - I’m just asking if this isn’t more like Sicilian regional Italian than actually a “dialetto stretto”.
Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you understood the video. My dad taught me his Sicilian dialect, spoken in his village in the province of Siracusa, and we still communicate in Sicilian to this day. While Sicilian regional Italian is essentially standard Italian with a Sicilian flare, what I'm speaking is my dad's unique Sicilian dialect. All the best. 🙂🙏
Thanks everyone for the amazing response to this video! I'm so grateful for the support. I've just relased part 2, featuring a special guest also speaking in Sicilian. Check out that video here czcams.com/video/cSUDLTlssn4/video.html
I'm Sicilian. It's wonderful to see that you care that much about our language. I totally agree with you about the fact we shouldn't let it disappear.
However, you speak Sicilian very well, the only thing that kinda left me perplexed is the verb "guardari", (which means "to watch/to look", for those who don't know). Personally, I would translate that verb into "taliari", which is a way more common form. For example, to say "I'm looking at you", I would say "Ti staiu taliannu" and not "ti staiu guardannu". But I can't claim that the form "guardari" is uncorrect, because Sicilian is a language that has several dialects (one for each town). The difference between them is not massive, but some words do change. Therefore, perhaps "guardari" is not used where I live, but it may be more common in another part of Sicily.
Thanks for your reply and lovely comment! Sicilian is such a beautiful language and I'm proud to be able to speak it. Yes I agree 'taliari' is more common. My dad uses both 'taliari' and 'guardari', so I guess this has influenced my Sicilian too. All the best. 🙂🙏
chistu cca, chiddu dda taliati a tutti chiddi cornuti, ecettera
As an American I understood it quite well... I read the subtitles.
😀
s'abbinirica, sugnu cuntentu ca facisti stu video, yu sugnu siciluanu e capì tuttu cosi, nunn è a stissa manera ri niautri, ma facisti bonu. tanti beddi cosi
Grazie mille! Sono contento che hai capito tutto. Ciao 🙂
Sono Portoghese e ho capito tutto quanto. Mi sembra bellissimo. 😊
Grazie per il tuo commento! Molto apprezzato. Mi fa piacere che tu abbia potuto capire così tanto del video. Io trovo di poter capire un po' di portoghese, che adoro, e che a me sembra simile al siciliano. Ciao!🙂🙏
I understood you just fine. I'm a Canadian with Sicilian roots. My nonna raside me she didn't speek English If you ever wanna have a conversation? That would be cool It's been 35 years since I've spoke Sicilian. I'd love to practice with somebody all the best from edmonton my frend take care
Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you understood the video. It's great to connect with others who appreciate Sicilian are are keen to keep it alive. Take care my Canadian friend! Cheers form Melbourne.🙂
BRAVOOOOOOOO
Grazie! Molto gentile. 🙏🙂
Bravu U Sicilianu e na lingua e avi tanti dialetti ri tanti provinci
Sì d'accordo! Grazie per il commento.
Language Vs dialect, and this is how my easiest understand of it. A language is when most of the sentence make ups have completely different words and even grammars to them. And dialect is the words pronunciation and/or using other words with similar meanings in their sentences and speeches.
For example: Sicilian and Italian are different languages and Sicilian dialects would be comparing the Palermo dialect and the Catania dialect or the dialect in Messina. Similar a dialect between British English and USA English.
Yes agree, Sicilian and Italian are different languages. The Sicilian language is composed of different dialects across the island. My Sicilian is from Siracusa, so is a different dialect to that spoken in Palermo, however they are mutually intelligible for the most part. Thanks for your comment!