People forget sometimes that there are many dialects in Italy. Admittedly, the official and most widely spoken language across the country is Italian, but there are more than thirty native living dialects. These include, for example, Tuscan, Sardinian, Friulian, Lombard, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Piedmontese, etc. It’s said too there are as many dialects as regions, but this is only partly true. In some areas, each village has indeed its own dialect with its own pronunciation. This means that some people of the same geographical area cannot understand each other. Even more amazing is a difference again between the dialect spoken by the young people and the dialect spoken by the elders. The young Italians acknowledge themselves that, when they are speaking in dialect, there is a vulgar dimension that they don't find in their grandparents' language. Italians are using their dialect to mark their affiliation with a group. In this way, they speak in dialect with friends to make understand certain concepts, to joke, to express their indignation or even to talk about local food. There is no doubt that they shall ensure that this part of the Italian culture is preserved.
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