Study of an Abruzzese Language Variety

This study presents a thorough grammatical description of one of the less well-known languages spoken on the Italian peninsula – Abruzzese, specifically the variety spoken in Vasto, in the province of Chieti, known as Uâʃtaréule among its native speakers. Included in the study is a detailed analysis of the variety’s syntax, which is the component of grammar that researchers have traditionally studied the least when examining the Latin- derived, non-Italian languages spoken on the peninsula. The study also provides a careful description of the variety’s sound system, its morphology, its extensive linguistic variation along multiple dimensions, and the significant language contact phenomena that have influenced its grammar as well as the grammar of the regional Italian spoken in the area. Finally, it explains in accessible terms for the local language community the true character and value of its linguistic patrimony and suggests possible options for ensuring the viability of the variety going forward.