Italian vs Sicilian | How Different Are They? | Learn Sicilian

Mescolare*

Sicilian is older than Italian the famous Sicilian school of literature paved the road for the Italian language

My parents were both born in Sicily. Of course everyone in Sicily speaks proper Italian but when with family and friends everyone speaks Siciliano . It is a language made up of Italian, French , Arabic , Greek and maybe a few others. Their is a debate of whether its an official language or a dialect. I really do not care what people say. I feel its a language on its own.

That’s crazy how different the languages are I never believed it

My great grandma and her side came from Palermo, Sicily. When her family immigrated, she never learned the language, due to integration into the "proper" language of English. So I'm happy I found you and am able to learn the language of my ancestors.

i laughed and got emotional watching this. brought back memories of my childhood having a sicilian nonna

My father was born in Sicily. I'd love to learn the Sicilian language, the language of my ancestors. But first I have to get fluent in Italian. I'm alread quite good, but it requires lots of practice. When I'm fluent, I'll learn Sicilian. Love Italy and Sicily!

Wow! I used to think Sicilian was just a dialect of Italian with just slight differences in terms of spelling and pronunciation; I didn’t realize they differ so much!

Even more interesting is the etymology of those words. You'll find traces of everyone who ever lived in Sicily in the language itself 🙂

Having been raised in a Sicilian family, this is basically right on the mark. One correction, however. The Italian for "to mix" is "mescolare", not "mesclare".

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All four of my grandparents came from Sicily (in or near Palermo) in the 1920’s. My father’s parents spoke only Sicilian. I recognize many of the Sicilian words in the video, but I also remember that some of the Italian words sound a lot like what they spoke too. And they came here way before Sicilian kids were forced to speak Italian in school. Interesting.

LOVE this comparison format!!!

As an American born Sicilian raised in the Italian section of South Philadelphia, I never realized how different the languages were. What I heard growing up was predominantly Italian. I understand some of it, but never learned either language.

Both of my parents were born and raised in Sicily and came to the US as adults. in the 1950s and 1960. Both were educated and my father graduated with a degree in literature from the University of Messina in the late 1950's. In the US, he taught Italian language at American universities for more than 30 years. I studied Italian under my father and practiced it with both parents. Still, when speaking to each other, my parents frequently spoke Sicilian. Although I can't speak it, I'd say I recognized 80 percent of the words presented here.

I’m a Spanish speaking Mexican and I don’t understand Sicilian at all. 90% of the words are foreign to us. Italian, however, is similar, I understand most of the Italian words and format.

This helps me a lot thanks for the lecture

I can't believe that there are that many differences...it's almost another language...seriously...

My grandmother spoke Sicilian (Messinese). I know about 75% of these words.

I appreciate the fact that you're keeping the Sicilian language alive, Very Important. But, you should have a disclaimer stating that some of the words you're translating are not spoken or pronounced the same way you are presenting them in other regions of Sicily. Your speaking seems to be from western parts of the Island. For instance in the eastern Messina provinces the word (yes) "si" is "si" not so much "se" and (cheese) formaggio is fumaggio and these pronunciations travel across the Straight into Villa San Giovanni and lower Calabria. BTW..... I Just Subscribed.