Autochthonous Linguistic Minorities in the Italian Alps:

Abstract

More than any other area in Western Europe, the Alps, especially the Italian Alps, are home to great ethno-cultural diversity: there, no less than seven autochthonous linguistic minorities coexist side by side with the respective official majority. Now being considered an important cultural heritage by the state as well as by the regions, new legislation offers protection to all ‘linguistic-historic minorities’ in Italy. Our study shows, however, that it is quite difficult to maintain such groups, since it is largely unknown where exactly the minority areas are situated. Based on that, local actor groups in various communities take advantage of this lack of knowledge and declare themselves minority territories although they show no linguistic varieties. An important objective of this project is therefore to present a cartographic representation of this linguistic diversity. Subsequently, the contribution discusses case studies of distinct ethno-linguistic self-awareness. Even though with Law No. 482 a first important step was taken to preserve the linguistic minorities, their progressive decline by territorial and numerical criteria cannot be denied. Today, besides unfavorable bio-demographic factors and “diffuse ethnicity,” other causes are current demographic processes. In this framework the amenity migrants, those new immigrants who have discovered the mountains as a new, desirable settlement space, play a decisive role by reinforcing the assimilation process.<br>Les Alpes, plus précisément les Alpes italiennes, plus que toute autre région d'Europe Occidentale, sont un lieu de grande diversité ethnoculturelle : pas moins de sept minorités linguistiques autochtones y coexistent, côte à côte avec la majorité officielle correspondante. Maintenant considérées comme un héritage culturel important par les états ainsi que par les régions, une nouvelle législation offre une protection à toutes les « minorités linguistiques historiques » en Italie. Notre étude montre, cependant, qu'il est très difficile de maintenir de tels groupes, car on ne sait pas vraiment où se situent exactement les zones de ces minorités. Partant de là, des groupes d'acteurs locaux, dans de nombreuses communautés, tirent partie de ce manque de connaissance et se déclarent territoires de minorité bien qu'ils ne présentent aucune variante linguistique. Un des objectifs importants de ce projet est, donc, d'établir une représentation cartographique de cette diversité linguistique. Ce document, par conséquent, traite d'études de cas de conscience ethnolinguistique distincte. Même si la Loi n° 482 a été un premier pas important pour la préservation des minorités linguistiques, leur déclin progressif, selon les critères territoriaux et numériques, ne peut pas être nié. Aujourd'hui, outre des facteurs biodémographiques défavorables et une « ethnicité diffuse », les processus démographiques en cours constituent d'autres causes. Dans ce cadre, les migrants d'agrément, ces nouveaux immigrants qui ont découvert les montagnes comme un nouvel espace d'install...

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