Conversation in Sicilian/English

First the question is in Sicilian, with the answer in Sicilian, and then the question and answer follow in English.

Quannu stavi criscennu a casa, in famigghia e amisci, comu parravanu Italianu o Siculianu?

--Sicilianu

When you were growing up and at home, around family and family friends, how would people speak Italian or Sicilian?

--Sicilian

Quannu aivi a scola, comu t’insignavanu in Sicilianu o Italianu?

-- I maistri parravanu e insignavanu sempri in Italianu. Ni mannavanu in punizzioni si parravamu in Sicilianu cu l’amisci o chi maistri. Ni punivanu puru quannu scrivemiru in Sicilianu.

When you were going to school, what was the education system like in regards to the spoken language?

--Teachers spoke and taught in Italian, all the time. We were punished if we spoke to our friends or teachers in Sicilian and we were punished if we even wrote in Sicilian.

Quannu aveviru a ricriazioni , qual’era a lingua chi parraviru chiu spissu e picchi?

-- Dipinneva, si incuminciavinu a parrari in Sicilianu, ci rispunneva in Sicilianu. Si incuminciavanu in Italianu, ci rispunnevu in Italianu. Era comuni ca i picciotti si cumpurtassiru accussi pi ricreazioni.

When you had free time, such as “recess”, what language were you most likely to speak in and why?

--It depends, if I was approached and the conversation is initiated in Sicilian, I would respond in Sicilian. If the conversation was started in Italian, I would respond in Italian. This way of speaking was very common at school during free time.

Fora a scola e a casa, quannu usami l’Italianu, si mai, in Sicilia?

-- Parravu l’Italianu chi negozzianti, chi duttura, avvocati chi vecchi ri l’eta ri me nonni.

Outside of school and outside of the home, when were you to use Italian, if ever, in Sicily.

--I would start a conversation in Italian if I were speaking with a store owner, like a jewelry shop owner, a doctor, a lawyer, someone older like my grandparents that I do not know personally.
Picchi sti cosi canciavinu comu parravi?

-- U Sicilianu e considerate a lingua re poviri.

U sicilianu è insignatu a kiddi ca un sa passanu buona percio si parri in sicilianu si consideratu poviru. Nuddu voli essiri consideratu poviru in società. Un è consideratu comu lingua ri rispettu quannu parri cu chiddi ca sa passanu bona.

Why?...Why would this change the way you speak?

--Sicilian is considered the “language of the poor.” Sicilian is thought to be lower class and therefore if you use it, you are considered lower class. No one wants to be looked at as poor or below society. It’s not considered a respectable language when using it with someone who you feel is middle class or above middle class, or someone of higher respects.

Allura, po pinsari qualchi vota ca tu o unu ra to famigghia gliu a viriri u dutturi e tutti rui parraviru in Sicilianu?

-- No, l’unica vota ca possu pinsari ca putissi succeriri e si qualchi anzianu nca un s’insignò mai l’Italianu e ca u SIcilianu era l’unica cosa ca capevinu. Pero a me generazioni e chiddi dopo ra mia canuscinu l’Italianu , e canuscinu u Sicilianu, e va bene accussi.

Okay, but can you think of a time when either yourself or a family member did go see the doctor, and both of you spoke in Sicilian and it was “okay?”

--No, not really. The only time I could think of is if someone who was really old, like a great grandparent who just never learned Italian and could only use Sicilian to communicate. My generation and the ones following me are expected to know Italian, and if they know Sicilian, that’s okay too.

Si eri fora a Sicilia ca to famigghia o chi to amisci, parri in Sicilianu o Italianu e picchi?

--Nuatri parramu in Sicilianu, un n’interessa si I cristiani ni talianu .
If you were to travel outside of Sicily with family or friends, would you speak Sicilian or Italian, and why?

--We would speak Sicilian; we would not mind that others would look at us or stare.

Picchi pero si mi riscisti ca l’autra genti pensa ca chiddi ca parranu u Sicilianu un sa passanu bona?

-- Picchi e a nostra cultura, a nostra identità, u sicilianu semu nuatri. Picchi n’amu accanciari pi chiddi ca sa pensanu accussi? Nuatri u consideramu comu na cosa bona. Potemu parrari ri tuttu senza preoccuparci si qualcunu ni senti o ni capisci. Si qualcunu ni rici qualcosa cia rispunnemu in Italianu e ci riscemu cosa ni pensamu.

Why though would you speak it if you told me and are aware people think it is below or of lower class?

--Because it is our culture, our identity, it is who we are. Why should we change our selves’ temporarily for those who think otherwise? We consider it a blessing. It allows us to speak our minds without always having to worry about someone understanding or hearing us. If someone makes a comment, we respond in Italian and let them know how we feel.

Pirciò, si parri u Sicilianu o nord, tu po capiri u dialettu ru nord e iddi possunu capiri u dialettu ro sud? Si a risposta è no, picchi?

-- No, picchi I nostri dialetti sunnu compelamenti diversi. Ci sunnu similarita e ni putemu capire ma e difficili.

Okay, so, if you speak Sicilian in the north, would you understand the northern dialect and would they understand your southern dialect. If not, why?

--No, because our dialects are very far apart. There are similarities and we might be able to understand each other, but it would be very difficult.

Allura picchi a nazioni, comu società, e cultura diciriu a continuari a chiamari sti differenti modi ri parrari “dialetti”?

-- Pensu picchi avi qualcosa a chi fari cu l’unità, l’identità ra nazzioni. Ci su sempri stati azzuffatini fra chiddi ru nord e chiddi ru sud. U nord pensa ca chiddu ro sud su tutti poveri, senza industri, e senza erucazioni. Avi assai ca u nord si voli separari ro sud. Pensu ca si sti dialetti vennu chiamati lingui , ni rassi na ragiuni pi ogniuno irisinni pi fatti so. L’italia prima era accusi ci vosiru anni prima ca si misiru nzemulla. 1942 fu l’annu.

Then why do you think the nation state, as a society, and culture decide to continue to define these different ways of speaking, “dialects”?

--I think the big reason is for unity, our national identity. There has always been a struggle between the north and the south. The north sees the south as poor, below standards, not industrialized, and uneducated. The north, for a long time has been trying to separate itself from the south. I believe that if the state were to start calling these different dialects a language, this would give the nation state as a whole a reason to split up into separate states or powers, just as Italy once started. It took years for Italy to become unified, it was not until 1942.

Chi pensi ca sta succirennu o Sicilianu o Sud? Va bene, sta criscennu o sta murennu? Picchi?

--Sta murennu, comu rissi prima, e a lingua re poveri.

What do you think is happening to Sicilian in the south? Is it steady, growing, or dieing? Why?

--It’s dying. Like I said before, it’s seen as lower class, beneath society.

Ma un riscist ca I famigghi u usanu a casa? Comu sta murennu?

-- Un esempiu ti fazzu. I me zii, parranu Sicilianu cu so figghia. Però so figghia un cià rispunni in Sicilianu. So figghia u capisci u Sicilianu pero si arrispunni nda manera, i me zii a puniscinu o ci risciunu ru n’arrispunniri in tali manera. Un vonnu ca a picciridda usa u Sicilianu pi parrari cu l’autri.

But didn’t you also say that families use it in the home? How is it then dieing?

--For example, my aunt and uncle, they speak Sicilian all the time around their young child. However, their child does not respond or speak in Sicilian. Their child can understand the dialect, but if she responds, her parents punish her or at the very least tell her not to use that dialect. They do not want their daughter growing up speaking Sicilian in every day communication.

Va bene, pero tu riscisti ca parrati u sicilianu senza problema picchi è a to cultura a to indentità. Poi riri ca I Siciliani accuminciaru a canciare a so cultura e a so società pi esseri chiù initi comu nazioni?

--Si, puri u nu vogghi ammettiri , a Sicilia sta canciannu lentamente pi accittari ca fannu parti ri l’Italia. Puri si l’Italia e unita comu territoriu , nuatri un semi uniti comi cristiani o nazioni. Nuatri pinsamu ca aiuterà a fare i Sicilianu uguali nell’occhi ri tutti. U Sicilianu sarà parratu rarreri i porti chiusi.

Okay, but you also said that you speak it freely because it’s your culture, your identity. Would you say that Sicilians are then starting to change their culture and society to meet the culture of a more unified Italy?

--Yes, as much as we don’t want to or want to see it for what it is, Sicily is slowly changing to accept these changes and become more unified with the rest of Italy. Although Italy is unified in terms of territory, we are certainly not unified in terms of people or a nation state. We feel this will help Sicilians be seen as equals. Sicilian will eventually be spoken only behind closed doors.

Okai, si tu avissi figghi e stavi ancora in Sicilia, comu ci parrassi chi to figghi e comu voi ca i to figghi ti rispunessiru?

-- Pensu ca è importanti ri mantiniri a cultura ri unni vinemu e parrari u nostru dialettu. Io pensu ca ci parrassi in Sicilianu accussi su possunu insignari, capiri, sintirlu, Un m’interissassi si u parrassiru in pubblicu. C’insignassi comu parrari cu l’anziani chi cristiani rispittati ra cumunità però u mi pirmittu mai ri limitaricci a so lingua. Forsi pi chistu u Sicilianu sta canciannu accussi lentu, però su sicura ca cancerà.

So, if you were to have children and you were still living in Sicily, how would you decide to speak around your children and how would you expect them to respond?

--I think it is important to still preserve the culture and heritage by speaking the dialect around them. I would speak Sicilian around them so they can learn it, hear it, and understand it. I would not mind if they spoke Sicilian in public. I would teach them to be polite around elders and more respected people of the community, but I would not limit their language. I am sure this is the reason why the transition from speaking Sicilian to Italian is slow, but still inevitable and ever changing.

L’internet e i chat aiutanu a rallentari a scumparsa ro Sicilianu?

--Pensu ca aiuta a mantaniri u Sicilianu vivu. I cristiani u usanu senza vergogna. E un’altra manera ri mantiniri u Sicilianu vivu senza parrarlu. L’unicu problema e si u Sicilianu un si parra chiù, chiddi ca unnu sannu un s’insignirannu o ci veni difficili picchi re diffirenzi.
How do you see the Internet and online chatting playing a role?

--I think it helps preserve Sicilian. People use it all the time without judgment. It is a way to keep Sicilian alive without having to speak it. The only problem is that if it ever becomes an unspoken language, those who don’t know won’t learn, or it will be very hard for them to learn because of the differences.

Ti senti qui megghiu chattari in sicilianu ca quannu parri normalmenti?

--No, per ora no. Immaginu ca un indomani cosi cancierannu e parrero la mia lingua ca me famigghia e chi me amici stritti, e sull’internet.

Do you feel any more comfortable using Sicilian online than you do in actual conversation?

--No, not right now. I imagine at one point I will have to continue to change as culture changes and limit my use to my family and close friends, and mostly online.

Works Cited