Lìgure
Ligurian
Romance (Gallo-Italic)
Ligurian (Lìgure / Zeneise for the Genoese variety) is an Italo-Romance language with ~500K speakers — northwestern Italy (Liguria, parts of Piemonte and Sardinia), Monaco (where it is the historic national language alongside French), and Argentina (Boca district of Buenos Aires, brought by 19th-c. Genoese sailors and the basis of Lunfardo slang). The Genoese maritime republic (11th-19th c.) spread it across the Mediterranean to Crimea (Caffa), the Aegean (Chios), and Corsica (where it underlies the Bonifacio dialect). Distinct from Italian and Piedmontese, with Gallo-Italic features (front-rounded vowels /y ø/, lenition of intervocalic consonants), and a unique nasal /ŋ/. Latin script with traditional Genoese orthography codified by the Académia Ligùstica do Brénno. UNESCO classifies as definitely endangered.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Ligurian
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Romance (Gallo-Italic)
| Meaning | Ligurian | Tabarchino | Venetian | Italian | Piedmontese | Corsican | Lombard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ægoa /ˈɛːɡwa/ | ègua /ˈeːɡwa/ | aqua /ˈakwa/ | acqua /ˈakkwa/ | eva /ˈɛva/ | acqua /ˈakwa/ | aqua /ˈaːkwa/ |
| Fire | fêugo /ˈføːɡu/ | fögu /ˈføːɡu/ | fogo /ˈfoɡo/ | fuoco /ˈfwɔːko/ | feu /føː/ | focu /ˈfɔku/ | fœg /føːk/ |
| Sun | sô /suː/ | su /su/ | sol /sol/ | sole /ˈsoːle/ | sol /sul/ | sole /ˈsɔle/ | sô /soː/ |
| Moon | lùn-a /ˈlyŋa/ | lugna /ˈlyɲa/ | łuna /ˈuna/ | luna /ˈluːna/ | lun-a /ˈlyŋa/ | luna /ˈluna/ | lüna /ˈlyna/ |
| Star | stélla /ˈstella/ | stella /ˈstɛlːa/ | stela /ˈstela/ | stella /ˈstɛlla/ | stèila /ˈstɛjla/ | stella /ˈstella/ | stella /ˈstɛla/ |
| Night | néutte /ˈnøtte/ | neutte /ˈnøte/ | note /ˈnɔte/ | notte /ˈnɔtte/ | neuit /nøjt/ | notte /ˈnɔtːe/ | nocc /nɔtʃ/ |
| Rain | ægua /ˈɛːɡwa/ | — | piova /ˈpjɔva/ | pioggia /ˈpjɔddʒa/ | pieuva /ˈpjøva/ | pioggia /ˈpjɔdʒa/ | pioeuva /ˈpjøːva/ |
| Snow | néie /ˈnejje/ | neive /ˈnejve/ | neve /neve/ | neve /neːve/ | fiòca /ˈfjɔka/ | neve /ˈneve/ | nev /nɛf/ |
| Wind | vénto /ˈventu/ | vento /ˈveŋtu/ | vento /ˈvento/ | vento /ˈvento/ | vent /vɛnt/ | ventu /ˈventu/ | vent /vɛnt/ |
| Earth | tæra /ˈtɛːra/ | tæra /ˈtɛːra/ | tera /ˈtɛra/ | terra /ˈtɛrra/ | tèra /ˈtɛra/ | terra /ˈtɛrra/ | tera /ˈteːra/ |
| Stone | prîa /ˈpriːa/ | prîa /ˈpriːa/ | piera /ˈpjɛra/ | pietra /ˈpjɛːtra/ | pera /ˈpera/ | petra /ˈpɛtra/ | sass /sas/ |
| Mountain | montàgna /muŋˈtaɲːa/ | — | montagna /monˈtaɲa/ | montagna /monˈtaɲːa/ | montagna /muŋˈtaɲa/ | muntagna /munˈtaɲɲa/ | mont /munt/ |
| Sea | mâ /maː/ | — | mar /mar/ | mare /ˈmare/ | mar /mar/ | mare /ˈmare/ | mar /mar/ |
| Mother | moæ /mwɛː/ | maire /ˈmajre/ | mare /ˈmare/ | madre /ˈmaːdre/ | mare /ˈmare/ | mamma /ˈmamma/ | mader /ˈmaːder/ |
| Father | poæ /pwɛː/ | paire /ˈpajre/ | pare /pare/ | padre /ˈpaːdre/ | pare /ˈpare/ | babbu /ˈbabːu/ | pader /ˈpaːder/ |
| Daughter | fìggia /ˈfiddʒa/ | fìggia /ˈfidːʒa/ | fioła /ˈfjɔe̯a/ | figlia /ˈfiʎʎa/ | fija /ˈfija/ | figliola /fiʎˈʎola/ | fiœula /ˈfjøːla/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | io /ˈio/ | mi /mi/ | eiu /ˈɛju/ | mì /mi/ |
| You | ti /ti/ | ti /ti/ | ti /ti/ | tu /tu/ | ti /ti/ | tù /tu/ | tì /ti/ |
| We | niâtri /ˈnjaːtri/ | nuiâtri /nuˈjaːtri/ | noaltri /noˈaltri/ | noi /noi/ | noi /nuj/ | noi /ˈnoi/ | nun /nyn/ |
| Name | nomme /ˈnume/ | nomme /ˈnɔmːe/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nòm /nɔm/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nòmm /nɔm/ |
| Person | persónn-a /perˈsuŋa/ | — | persona /perˈsona/ | persona /perˈsona/ | përson-a /pərˈsuŋa/ | persona /perˈsona/ | persona /perˈsoːna/ |
| Head | tésta /ˈtesta/ | tésta /ˈtesta/ | tèsta /ˈtɛsta/ | testa /ˈtɛsta/ | testa /ˈtɛsta/ | capu /ˈkapu/ | coo /kuː/ |
| Eye | éuggio /ˈøddʒu/ | öggiu /ˈødʒu/ | ocio /ɔtʃo/ | occhio /ˈɔkkjo/ | euj /øj/ | ochju /ˈɔcu/ | öcc /øtʃ/ |
| Ear | oêgia /ˈweːdʒa/ | oegia /ˈweːdʒa/ | récia /ˈretʃa/ | orecchio /oˈrekkjo/ | orija /uˈrija/ | arechja /aˈrɛca/ | oreggia /oˈredʒa/ |
| Nose | naso /ˈnaːzu/ | naso /ˈnazu/ | naxo /ˈnazo/ | naso /ˈnaːzo/ | nas /nas/ | nasu /ˈnazu/ | nas /nas/ |
| Mouth | bócca /ˈbuka/ | bócca /ˈbukːa/ | boca /ˈboka/ | bocca /ˈbokka/ | boca /ˈbuka/ | bocca /ˈbɔkka/ | boca /ˈbuka/ |
| Tooth | dénte /ˈdeŋte/ | dente /ˈdente/ | dente /ˈdente/ | dente /ˈdɛnte/ | dent /dɛŋt/ | dente /ˈdɛnte/ | dent /dent/ |
| Tongue | lengua /ˈleŋɡwa/ | lengua /ˈleŋɡwa/ | léngua /ˈleŋɡwa/ | lingua /ˈliŋɡwa/ | lenga /ˈlɛŋɡa/ | lingua /ˈliŋɡwa/ | lengua /ˈleŋɡwa/ |
| Hand | man /maŋ/ | mòn /mɔŋ/ | man /man/ | mano /ˈmaːno/ | man /maŋ/ | manu /ˈmanu/ | man /maŋ/ |
| Foot | pê /peː/ | pé /peː/ | pìe /ˈpie/ | piede /ˈpjɛde/ | pé /pe/ | pede /ˈpɛde/ | pè /pɛ/ |
| Heart | chêu /køː/ | cö /kø/ | cor /kɔr/ | cuore /ˈkwɔːre/ | cheur /kør/ | core /ˈkɔre/ | cör /kør/ |
| Bone | òsso /ˈɔsu/ | òsso /ˈɔsu/ | oso /ˈɔso/ | osso /ˈɔsso/ | òss /ɔs/ | ossu /ˈɔssu/ | oss /ɔs/ |
| Blood | sàngoe /ˈsaŋɡwe/ | sangue /ˈsaŋɡwe/ | sangue /ˈsaŋɡwe/ | sangue /ˈsaŋɡwe/ | sangh /saŋ/ | sangue /ˈsaŋɡwe/ | sangu /ˈsaŋɡu/ |
| Poop | cacà /kaˈka/ | — | caca /ˈkaka/ | cacca /ˈkakka/ | caca /ˈkaka/ | caca /ˈkaka/ | cacca /ˈkaka/ |
| Love | amô /amuː/ | amù /aˈmu/ | amor /amor/ | amore /aˈmoːre/ | amor /aˈmur/ | amore /aˈmɔre/ | amor /aˈmuːr/ |
| Tree | èrbo /ˈɛrbu/ | âbu /ˈaːbu/ | àlbaro /ˈalbaro/ | albero /ˈalbero/ | àrbol /ˈarbul/ | arburu /ˈarburu/ | alber /ˈɑːrbɛr/ |
| Dog | can /kaŋ/ | can /kaŋ/ | can /kaŋ/ | cane /ˈkaːne/ | can /kaŋ/ | cane /ˈkane/ | can /kan/ |
| Cat | gàtto /ˈɡattu/ | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gatto /ˈɡatto/ | gat /ɡat/ | ghjattu /ˈɟattu/ | gat /ɡat/ |
| Fish | péscio /ˈpeʃʃu/ | pésciu /ˈpeʃu/ | pesse /ˈpese/ | pesce /ˈpeʃʃe/ | pess /pes/ | pesciu /ˈpeʃu/ | pess /pes/ |
| Bird | öxello /øʒelu/ | — | oxeło /oˈzeo/ | uccello /utˈtʃɛllo/ | osel /uˈzɛl/ | uccellu /utˈtʃɛllu/ | usèll /yzɛl/ |
| Butterfly | farfàlla /farˈfalːa/ | — | pavegia /paˈvedʒa/ | farfalla /farˈfalla/ | parpajon /parpaˈjuŋ/ | farfalla /farˈfalla/ | parpaj /parˈpaj/ |
| Egg | övo /ˈøvu/ | — | vovo /ˈvɔvo/ | uovo /ˈwɔːvo/ | euv /øw/ | ovu /ˈɔvu/ | öv /øf/ |
| Bear | orso /ˈɔrsu/ | — | orso /ˈorso/ | orso /ˈorso/ | ors /urs/ | orsu /ˈorsu/ | ors /ors/ |
| Horse | cavàllo /kaˈvalːu/ | — | caval /kaˈval/ | cavallo /kaˈvallo/ | caval /kaˈval/ | cavallu /kaˈvallu/ | cavall /kaˈval/ |
| House | câza /ˈkaːza/ | cà /ka/ | caxa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkaːsa/ | ca /ka/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | cà /kaː/ |
| Milk | læte /ˈlɛːte/ | — | late /ˈlate/ | latte /ˈlatte/ | làit /lɑɪ̯t/ | latte /ˈlatte/ | latt /lat/ |
| Honey | amê /aˈmeː/ | — | miel /mjɛl/ | miele /ˈmjɛːle/ | amel /aˈmɛl/ | mele /ˈmɛle/ | mel /mɛl/ |
| Salt | sâ /saː/ | sâ /saː/ | sal /sal/ | sale /ˈsale/ | sal /sal/ | sale /ˈsale/ | sal /sal/ |
| Wine | vin /viŋ/ | vin /viŋ/ | vin /viŋ/ | vino /ˈvino/ | vin /viŋ/ | vinu /ˈvinu/ | vin /viŋ/ |
| Rice | rîzo /ˈriːzu/ | — | rixo /ˈrizo/ | riso /ˈriːzo/ | ris /ris/ | risu /ˈrizu/ | ris /ris/ |
| Chocolate | cicolâta /tʃikuˈlaːta/ | — | ciocolata /tʃokoˈlata/ | cioccolato /tʃokkoˈlaːto/ | cicolata /tʃikuˈlata/ | cicculata /tʃikkuˈlata/ | cicolat /tʃikuˈlat/ |
| Iron | færo /ˈfɛːru/ | færo /ˈfɛru/ | fero /ˈfɛro/ | ferro /ˈfɛrro/ | fer /fɛr/ | ferru /ˈfɛrru/ | fèr /fɛr/ |
| Wheel | reua /ˈrøːa/ | röa /ˈrøa/ | roda /ˈrɔda/ | ruota /ˈrwɔta/ | roa /ˈrua/ | rota /ˈrɔta/ | roeuda /ˈrøːda/ |
| Silk | sæa /ˈsɛːa/ | — | seda /ˈseda/ | seta /ˈseːta/ | seda /ˈseda/ | seta /ˈseta/ | seda /ˈseːda/ |
| Book | libbro /ˈlibru/ | — | libro /ˈlibro/ | libro /ˈliːbro/ | lìber /ˈliber/ | libru /ˈlibru/ | liber /ˈliber/ |
| Eat | mangiâ /maŋˈdʒaː/ | mangiò /manˈdʒo/ | magnàr /maˈɲar/ | mangiare /manˈdʒaːre/ | mangé /maɲˈdʒe/ | manghjà /manˈɟa/ | mangià /maɲˈdʒaː/ |
| Drink | béive /ˈbejve/ | bàive /ˈbajve/ | bévar /ˈbevar/ | bere /ˈbeːre/ | bèive /ˈbɛive/ | beie /ˈbeje/ | bev /bev/ |
| Sleep | dormî /durˈmiː/ | dormî /durˈmiː/ | dormir /dorˈmir/ | dormire /dorˈmiːre/ | durmì /dyrˈmi/ | durmì /durˈmi/ | dormì /durˈmi/ |
| One | un /yŋ/ | un /uŋ/ | un /un/ | uno /ˈuːno/ | un /yŋ/ | unu /ˈunu/ | vün /vyŋ/ |
| Two | doî /dwiː/ | dui /ˈdui/ | do /do/ | due /ˈdue/ | doi /dui/ | dui /ˈdui/ | duu /dy/ |
| Three | tréi /trej/ | tréi /trej/ | tre /tre/ | tre /tre/ | tre /trɛ/ | trè /trɛ/ | trii /triː/ |
| Four | quàttro /ˈkwattru/ | quattro /ˈkwatru/ | quatro /ˈkwatro/ | quattro /ˈkwattro/ | quatr /kwatr/ | quattru /ˈkwatːru/ | quater /ˈkwater/ |
| Five | çìnque /ˈsinkwe/ | çìnque /ˈsiŋkwe/ | sìnque /ˈsiŋkwe/ | cinque /ˈtʃiŋkwe/ | sinch /siŋk/ | cinque /ˈtʃiŋkwe/ | cinch /tʃiŋk/ |
| Hundred | çento /ˈseŋtu/ | — | sento /ˈsento/ | cento /ˈtʃɛnto/ | sent /sɛŋt/ | centu /ˈtʃɛntu/ | cent /tʃent/ |
| Hello | ciâo /tʃaː/ | ciau /tʃaw/ | ciao /tʃao/ | ciao /ˈtʃaːo/ | ciao /tʃao/ | salute /saˈlute/ | ciao /ˈtʃaːo/ |
| Thank you | graçie /ˈɡrasje/ | graçie /ˈɡrasje/ | grassie /ɡrasje/ | grazie /ˈɡrattsje/ | gràssie /ˈɡrasie/ | grazie /ˈɡratsje/ | gràzie /ˈɡrasje/ |
| Good | bon /buŋ/ | bon /buŋ/ | bon /bon/ | buono /ˈbwɔːno/ | bon /buŋ/ | bonu /ˈbɔnu/ | bun /buŋ/ |
| New | nêuvo /ˈnøːvu/ | neûvu /ˈnøvu/ | novo /ˈnovo/ | nuovo /ˈnwɔːvo/ | neuv /nøw/ | novu /ˈnɔvu/ | nœuv /nøf/ |
| Red | rósso /ˈrussu/ | rossu /ˈrusu/ | róso /ˈroso/ | rosso /ˈrosso/ | ross /rus/ | rossu /ˈrossu/ | ross /rɔs/ |
| White | gianco /ˈdʒaŋku/ | gianco /ˈdʒaŋku/ | bianco /ˈbjaŋko/ | bianco /ˈbjaŋko/ | bianch /bjaŋk/ | biancu /ˈbjaŋku/ | bianch /bjaŋk/ |
| Black | neigro /ˈnejɡru/ | — | negro /ˈneɡro/ | nero /ˈnero/ | nèir /nɛjr/ | neru /ˈneru/ | negher /ˈneɡer/ |
| Green | vèrde /ˈvɛrde/ | verde /ˈverde/ | verde /ˈverde/ | verde /ˈverde/ | verd /vɛrt/ | verde /ˈverde/ | verd /vert/ |
| Blue | bleu /bløː/ | — | — | blu /blu/ | bleu /blø/ | turchinu /turˈkinu/ | blö /blø/ |
| Cuckoo | cùcco /ˈkuku/ | — | cucù /kuˈku/ | cuculo /ˈkuːkulo/ | coco /ˈkuku/ | cuccu /ˈkukku/ | cùcch /kuk/ |
| Computer | computer /komˈpjuter/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | urdinatore /urdinaˈtore/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
| Tea | tè /tɛ/ | — | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ | tè /tɛ/ |
| Coffee | caffè /kaˈfɛ/ | — | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ | caffè /kafˈfɛ/ | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ | caffè /kafˈfɛ/ | cafè /kaˈfɛ/ |
| Sugar | sùcou /ˈsykɔw/ | — | sùcaro /ˈsukaro/ | zucchero /ˈdzukkero/ | sùcher /ˈsykɛr/ | zuccheru /ˈdzukkeru/ | zuccher /syˈkeːr/ |
| Orange | çetrón /seˈtruŋ/ | naranza /naˈraŋza/ | naranza /naˈraŋsa/ | arancia /aˈrantʃa/ | aransa /aˈraŋsa/ | aranciu /aˈrantʃu/ | naranz /naˈrans/ |
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