[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][minti_image img=”4637″ align=”center”][minti_image img=”4606″ align=”center”][minti_image img=”4605″ align=”center”][minti_image img=”4604″ align=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column bg_image=”465″ width=”1/2″][minti_headline size=”fontsize-xxl” weight=”fontweight-600″ lineheight=”lh-12″ transform=”transform-uppercase” align=”align-left”]DIVE INTO THE CULTURE[/minti_headline][vc_column_text]Parliamo italiano
Italian really is the people’s language. It’s the closest relative to Latin among all the Romance languages, and in medieval Europe was the everyday language before Dante Alighieri (the Divine Comedy guy) called for its evolution into a distinct language of its own. Ever since then, Italian has been evolving and growing more complex: there are now so many regional dialects that it’s difficult to count or classify them. (If you’re wondering where to start, learn Neapolitan Italian: with 5.7 million speakers, it’s the most common — and the most complex — of Italian dialects, with strict grammatical rules and strong similarities to Spanish and Catalan. Think of it as a three-for-one bonus!)
Now there are 63 million Italian speakers across the world, largely due to the impact of migration and international trade. Little Italy in New York City is one of the most famous examples of how Italian travels and adapts itself to new speakers. And there could easily be more Italian speakers, given how intuitive Italian pronunciation and grammar are. Italian is read nearly phonetically: the written word looks very similar to how it sounds, and the language has a lot of cognates with other Romance languages.
But Italian’s relatively simple sounds and grammar hide pitfalls that can make translating into or from Italian a little complicated, especially for English speakers. Additionally, the Italian language is witnessing growing gaps between spoken Italian and properly grammatical Italian, a difference that’s now creeping into written media. It’s important to be aware of the different registers that Italian can be spoken in, and to maintain a balance between grammatical correctness and ease of understanding. Below, we’ve gathered our best tips for crafting Italian translations and working with a changing language.
Italian 101: How it’s Built
Italian’s vocabulary and structure is similar to other Romance languages, which means that its nouns are male or female and require their adjectives to match. Spoken Italian is read as it’s written (formaggio is pronounced “for-MAH-djyo”) with clearly enunciated vocals. Like English, Italian has 26 letters in its alphabet, but five (j, k, w, x, and y) are considered foreign and you won’t find them in many Italian words. In recent years, the Italian language has incorporated at least 300 to supplement its vocabulary, including abstract, backstage, center, cash, community, contest, compilation, full-time, hot, snob, and more. So for English speakers learning Italian, the two language’s similarity makes learning easier. But for translators, there are a few key differences to keep in mind when translating between the languages.
‘Italian culture’, in a more narrow sense, is a term used to describe Italy’s creative achievements, many of which are interconnected with her economy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][minti_headline size=”fontsize-l” weight=”fontweight-500″ lineheight=”lh-12″ transform=”transform-uppercase” align=”align-left”]Pick A Trip[/minti_headline][minti_imagebox img=”285″ url=”/experience-1-taste-of-tuscany-6-days”]
EXPERIENCE 1 – TASTE OF TUSCANY – 6 days
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EXPERIENCE 2 – CULTURAL IMMERSION – 6 days
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EXPERIENCE 3 – ITALY – YOUR WAY – 6-10days
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