Veneto Language

Veneto

Veneto Region of Italy

One of the more well-known dialects of Italy—and one of the most robust outside the southern regions—Veneto is a language with a fascinating history. Considered a separate language due to the fact that it evolved directly from Latin rather than standard Italian, Veneto shares many similarities with Italian, yet also has significant differences. There are even notable variations within Veneto itself, which is typically divided into seven categories across northeastern Italy.

The earliest records of the language date back to the 13th century, and it later became a major commercial language of the Mediterranean during the height of the Venetian Republic. Today, it is primarily spoken in the Veneto region, with smaller populations of speakers in parts of Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. There are still a significant number of native speakers—some estimates place the number as high as 5 million—and numerous revitalization efforts are underway to preserve and promote the language.

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Talian

Late 19th century Venetian immigrants in Caxias do Sul, Brazil

Talian is a Veneto-based language (considered a variety of central and western Venetian) spoken in southern Brazil. When Italian immigrants arrived in rural areas of Brazil in the late 19th century, many preserved the regional Veneto language they brought with them. Over time, the language was influenced by Portuguese and other northern Italian dialects, evolving into a more blended form. Still, it retains much of its original archaic Veneto structure.

There are an estimated 500,000 speakers, primarily in small towns and communities founded by Venetian immigrants. Talian has seen official recognition in Brazil, with more than 20 municipalities declaring it a co-official language. It is also experiencing a revival as younger generations work to preserve their heritage.

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Chipileño

Chipilo city center

Much less known than Talian, Chipileño is spoken by around 2,500 native speakers in the town of Chipilo, in the state of Puebla, central Mexico. Like southern Brazil, Chipilo received a wave of immigrants from the Veneto region in the late 19th century (specifically in 1882). These settlers maintained their language and cultural traditions in relative isolation, allowing Chipileño to survive largely intact to this day.

Chipileño is based on the Bellunese variant of the Veneto dialect. While it has absorbed some loanwords from Spanish, it still retains a mostly 19th-century vocabulary and structure. Compared to Talian, which developed as a blend of various Veneto and northern Italian dialects, Chipileño remains much more linguistically consistent with its Bellunese roots. Although it is one of the best-preserved immigrant languages in the Americas, efforts continue within the community to ensure that Chipileño survives for future generations.