Page Type: languageLigurian | Ethnologue

LIJ ISO 639-3

Ligurian

Ligure Autonym

A language of Italy

ISO 639
lij
Alternate Names
Zeneize
Autonym
Ligure
Population
140,000 in Italy (2017 census). Total users in all countries: 148,210.
Location:
Liguria region: east and west of Genoa along the Riviera and mountain hinterland; small communities near Piedmont-Liguria regional border (Garessio, Ormea, Saliceto, Seorle, Spigno, Orba valley, Scrivia valley); Piedmont region: Cuneo province; Tuscany region: Massa-Carrara province, small border areas; possible scattered settlements in Sardinia area.
Language Status
5* (Developing).
Classification
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Italian
Dialects
Genoese (Genoan, Genovese, Zenéize). Ligurian varieties in Piedmont-Liguria border area are mutually intelligible with Piedmontese varieties. There are over 20 villages in Sicily and Basilicata regions where transitional Piedmontese [pms]-Ligurian varieties are spoken, due to a massive immigration from Piedmont during the Middle Ages (Pfister 1988).
Language Use
Also use Italian [ita].
Language Development
Newspapers. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1860.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ligurian
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Ligurian has had a literature since the 1200s and the Genoese variant was widely used alongside the Mediterranean because of the commercial and nautical importance of the Republic of Genoa. That is why Zeneize (meaning Genoese) is one of its alternate names and the autonym.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Ligurian
User Population
300–400 in Corsica (Salminen 2007).
Location
Corsica region: Bonifacio town; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region: between Italy and Monaco borders.
Language Status
8a (Moribund)
View other languages of France
Language Name
Monégasque
User Population
8,210 in Monaco (2014).
Location
Widespread.
Dialects
Monégasque (Munegascu, Ventimigliese).
Language Status
4 (Educational)
View other languages of Monaco

Map

Location: Liguria region: east and west of Genoa along the Riviera and mountain hinterland; small communities near Piedmont-Liguria regional border (Garessio, Ormea, Saliceto, Seorle, Spigno, Orba valley, Scrivia valley); Piedmont region: Cuneo province; Tuscany region: Massa-Carrara province, small border areas; possible scattered settlements in Sardinia area.